A C-5B Galaxy crew from the 60th Air Mobility Wing at Travis AFB, California, loaded a damaged US Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, on 18 August 2011 prior to flying the fighter to the Fleet Readiness Center Southwest at NAS North Island, San Diego, California. In March, while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom, the Super Hornet pilot experienced malfunctions which caused him to divert to Kandahar Airfield. The aircraft experienced hot brakes on landing and subsequently caught fire. The fire was extinguished, but the fighter’s right fuselage was severely damaged. Navy officials noted that having the F/A-18 transported back to the US and repaired will most likely be one-third the cost of replacing the aircraft.
