F-18 maintenance, two American soldiers become living torches

Two US Marines suffered serious burns while maintaining an F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet.

Sputnik quoted a statement from the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in Texas saying that a mysterious explosion occurred on an F/A-18 Super Hornet undergoing maintenance.

F-18 Super Hornet suddenly caught fire during maintenance. Illustration photo: Sputnik

The incident occurred at 10:20 p.m. on June 25 (local time), leaving two marines with severe burns.

The F-18 Hornet fighter jet was undergoing routine maintenance when an unusual fire broke out.

Two soldiers are currently being treated for severe burns at the US-San Diego Regional Burn Center. The two injured Marines are from VMFA-112 assault team in Fort Worth, Texas.

An investigation is underway to find out the cause of the fire during maintenance.

On Monday, on its official Twitter account, Miramar base said its Public Affairs Office initially reported it as an "explosion." However, the statement was later deleted, and the phrase "explosion" was replaced to reflect the true nature of the incident.

Accidents involving the F/A-18 Super Hornet have occurred many times in the past, many of which have claimed the lives of American soldiers.

In late July 2016, a US Navy Super Hornet fighter jet crashed during a training flight in California, killing the pilot.

This F/A-18C belongs to the 3rd Marine Fighter Squadron, permanently stationed at Miramar Air Force Base in San Diego, California.

Two F-18 Super Hornets collided during a training flight.

Another accident occurred on May 26, when two US Marine Corps F/A-18F Super Hornets crashed at the same time due to a mid-air collision while conducting a training flight together.

According to the US Navy, the two aircraft collided during a routine training flight off the coast of North Carolina. The two F/A-18s were part of the 211th Fighter Attack Squadron, based at the Oceana Naval Base.

The two planes crashed into the sea 40km off the coast of North Carolina. Fortunately, rescue forces and local fishing boats were able to save all four pilots on board.

According to Baodatviet