YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan — A piece of a Navy jet fell off in midflight Thursday afternoon, breaking a window at a residential home but causing no injuries.

The F/A-18E Super Hornet from Strike Fighter Squadron 27 lost a pump service handle at 2:15 p.m. while flying just northwest of Naval Air Facility Atsugi in Ayase City, base spokesman Tim McGough said Friday.

The handle was about 22 inches long and an inch in diameter, McGough said.

The Japanese government’s South Kanto Defense Bureau and base officials assessed the damage last night but hadn’t yet released any monetary damage figures Friday.

“By Navy regulation, we do pre- and post-flight checks, and they are stringent,” McGough said. “We regret that this happened.”

The Navy has opened an investigation into the incident, McGough said.

Migrated