Dyr refueling - Curt Lewis

Navy jet damaged in mid-air refueling mishap Two F/A-18 Super Hornet strike fighters refuel during a fly over at the Naval Air Station Oceana Air Show on Sept. 21 in Virginia Beach. (Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Abraham Essenmacher/Navy) A Navy strike fighter sucked debris into both of its engines during a late January midair refueling, causing at least $2.5 million in damage to the aircraft, according to the Navy Safety Center. No injuries were reported in the Jan. 27 incident, which involved two F/A-18F Super Hornets from Strike Fighter Squadron 106 - the Gladiators - based at Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach, Naval Air Force Atlantic spokesperson Cmdr. Jennifer Cragg said. One jet was receiving fuel when it ripped the fueling basket from the other aircraft and sucked debris from it into its engines, Cragg said. Both aircraft returned safely to Oceana, where their flight originated. "The cause of the mishap is under investigation," Cragg said. The Naval Safety Center classified the mishap as type "A," which means that it caused at least $2.5 million in damages.