Four E-8Cs grounded for inspections

Four E-8Cs that recently completed depot maintenance at a Northrop Grumman facility have been grounded after one of the surveillance jet had a Class A mishap with its main sensor, the APY-7 radar.

T-3 with JT8D-219 engines
By US Air Force [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

The radar was damaged by moisture as drain holes in the canoe housing the radar failed to work properly and condensation occurred during a flight from Louisiana to Georgia.

The focus now is on the quality assurance process at the Northrop Grumman facility in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

The Class A Mishap was one in a series of post-repair incidents that was traced back to the same facility.