F/A-18's have severe brake problems

WASHINGTON — The front-line fighter jet of the Navy and Marines has suffered a series of recent accidents blamed on brake failure, exposing a problem that has spurred urgent warnings from commanders, military documents obtained by The Associated Press show.

Brake problems affecting the F/A-18 Hornet pose “a severe hazard to Naval aviation” that could kill pilots and ruin valuable aircraft, a Navy air wing commander wrote last year after one of his jets roared off a runway and splashed into San Diego Bay, destroying the $30 million plane.

The Navy ordered fleetwide inspections last fall and is continuing to investigate whether it needs to redesign the Hornet’s brakes, as some commanders have urged. “This matter is by no means closed,” said Navy spokesman James Darcy.

The maker of the jet, Boeing Co., deferred comment to the Navy.

“This trend of brake failures and blown tires cannot be ignored,” Marine Col. Earl S. Wederbrook wrote to senior Navy and Marine officials after one of his jets spun backward on a runway from a blown tire in California. “Short of an aircraft system fix … the pilot is the only control measure that can mitigate this hazard.”

“Ultimately, the wiring harness needs to be protected or redesigned,” Cmdr. John R. “J.D.” Dixon wrote to senior Navy officials .

Failure to fix the problem “could lead to loss of use of the antiskid system, loss of normal brakes and potential loss of aircraft and life,” Geron warned.

Click here for the full 3 page AP analysis

^^A detailed look at the left main landing gear of the F/A-18 Hornet . The picture shows a tie-down ring, foreground, that is used to attach chains to secure the jet to the deck of an aircraft carrier. Chains can chafe against the antiskid braking system wiring shown to the ring’s right. The wiring can then break, deactivating the system.

The article goes on to give details of several crashes and disasters due this problem … hopefully it will be fixed.