California IN BRIEF : SAN DIEGO : Navy Fleet Commander Declares F-14s Safe

The commander of the Navy’s Pacific Air Fleet said Monday that investigators have been unable to find a common link among a string of recent crashes and he defended the controversial F-14 Tomcat, which will be the subject of a congressional probe Thursday. Vice Adm. Brent M. Bennitt said that reviews done during the recent three-day safety stand down for all 330 of the Navy’s F-14s worldwide proved to the Navy’s satisfaction that the F-14 is safe. “Part of the reason we’re having this review in the F-14 community is to ensure we have a safe airplane and we’re comfortable we do,” Bennitt said. Three of the supersonic fighters from Miramar Naval Air Station have crashed in recent weeks. Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-El Cajon) will convene a hearing Thursday to examine the F-14’s safety record. Thirty-two of the supersonic fighters have crashed since 1991.