The Navy temporarily grounded its fleet of F/A-18 E/F/ Super Hornets and E/A-18G Growlers following what officials call an “on-deck emergency” Friday morning in western Washington.

A Navy Growler assigned to Electronic Attack Squadron 132 was damaged and both of its aircrew suffered unspecified injuries during a ground accident that involved the jet’s canopy shortly before an 11 a.m. takeoff Friday at the Whidbey Island air station on Puget Sound, according to Navy spokeswoman Cmdr. Jeanette D. Groeneveld.

A Whidbey Island search and rescue helicopter raced the “Scorpions” crew to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle for evaluation.

Because the advanced Boeing Super Hornets and Growlers rely on similar aircraft systems, Vice Adm. Mike Shoemaker — commander of Naval Air Forces on North Island — temporarily suspended flight operations for both types of jets.


Exceptions, however, will be made “on a case-by-case basis dependent upon operational requirements,” according to a Navy statement released at dawn on Saturday.

Boeing engineers and Naval Air Systems Command are probing the cause of the incident and North Island officials said that they should know more by Monday.

A two-seat version of the Super Hornet multirole fighter, the carrier-based Growler is an electronic warfare aircraft that began replacing Northrop Grumman’s EA-6B Prowlers in 2009.

Growlers can jam enemy signals, fool radar systems and detect incoming missiles.


The temporary pause on Growler and Super Hornet flights will not affect squadrons in the San Diego area.

cprine@sduniontribune.com