May 8 (UPI) — The U.S. Air Force ordered a one-day flight pause for all active-duty wing commanders to review safety procedures, military officials announced Tuesday.
Gen. David Goldfein, chief of staff of the Air Force, said the one-day halt must happen by May 21.
“I am directing this operational safety review to allow our commanders to assess and discuss the safety of our operations and to gather feedback from our airmen who are doing the mission every day,” he said.
Goldfein said that though there has been a decrease in Air Force Class A and Class B aviation mishaps over the past decade, the branch’s manned aviation mishap rate has increased since the beginning of 2018.
The most recent was the May 2 crash of a WC-130 Hercules in Georgia that killed all nine members of the Puerto Rico Air National Guard on board.
“We cannot afford to lose a single airman or weapons system due to a mishap that could have been prevented,” Goldfein said. “Our men and women have volunteered to give their last full measure for America’s security. My intent is to have commanders lead focused forums with their airmen to help identify gaps and seams that exist or are developing, which could lead to future mishaps or unsafe conditions.”
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.