Navy suspends training flights after string of crashes

SAN DIEGO -- The U.S. Navy has taken a "safety pause" and grounded all non-essential flights in the wake of a series of aircraft crashes.

This follows three Southern California crashes in less than a week, two of which involved fatalities.
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According to the Navy, the pause will ground all navy aircraft not deployed overseas "to review risk-management practices and conduct training on threat and error-management processes."

Five US Marines died after a military aircraft crashed during a training mission Wednesday near Glamis, California, the U.S. Marine Corps said in a statement.

MORE: 5 Marines killed in Osprey crash in SoCal desert identified

Equipment recovery efforts "have begun" and an investigation into the crash involving a MV-22B Osprey is "underway."



The Marine Corps has identified the service members, all based at Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton, California: Cpl. Nathan E. Carlson, 21, of Winnebago, Illinois; Capt. Nicholas P. Losapio, 31, of Rockingham, New Hampshire; Cpl. Seth D. Rasmuson, 21, of Johnson, Wyoming; Lance Cpl. Evan A. Strickland, 19, of Valencia, New Mexico; and Capt. John J. Sax, 33, of Placer, California.
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The week before, Lt. Richard Bullock was killed when his F/A-18E Super Hornet crashed near Trona, in San Bernardino County. He was flying a routine training mission at the time of the crash.

SEE ALSO: US Navy identifies pilot killed in Mojave Desert fighter jet crash

A U.S. Navy helicopter also crashed in California on Thursday, injuring one member of the Navy.

All three crashes are under investigation.