Navy Reports Decade-High Class A Aviation and Afloat Mishaps

Overview

• The Navy Safety Command data released Oct. 27–28 show 16 Class A aviation mishaps and 11 Class A afloat mishaps in fiscal year 2026, the highest counts in at least a decade.
• A Class A mishap means at least $2.5 million in damage or an event that destroys equipment or causes a fatality or permanent disability.
• Of the 16 aviation events, two involved unmanned aircraft, 11 were flight mishaps and three were ground mishaps, and the tally includes high-profile crashes in the South China Sea, a May airshow double Growler crash, a deadly MH-60S ditching in the Arabian Sea, and a September carrier landing mishap that injured four sailors.
• The Navy recorded 30 total on-duty Class A mishaps in FY2026, matching a recent high from FY2022, and the Marine Corps separately reported six aviation Class A mishaps and 12 on-duty mishaps with seven fatalities for the same year.
• The figures have prompted renewed oversight and could lead to wider investigations, changes to training or maintenance practices, and closer tracking of unmanned aircraft operations as leaders seek to identify causes and reduce risk to sailors and equipment.