After Deadly Crashes, Marines Ground Aircraft

After two deadly air accidents in recent weeks, the Marine Corps on Friday ordered its aviation units to briefly ground their aircraft, review the safety of their operations, and study past failures to glean lessons from them.

Gen. Robert B. Neller, commandant of the Marine Corps, directed the units to conduct an “operational reset,” a 24-hour period without flights, at some time within the next two weeks. Spreading the pauses over two weeks will limit the number of aircraft that will be grounded at any one time during a time of great tension in several parts of the world, notably the Korean Peninsula.

In a brief statement, the Marines said each unit’s commander would decide when to suspend flight operations, timing the move to minimize disruption to operations.

Units deployed from their home bases, including those close to war zones and potential trouble spots overseas, can ask for an extension of the two-week time frame, said Capt. Ryan E. Alvis, a Marine Corps spokeswoman.