A House Oversight Committee report released Tuesday faults the Navy for failing to protect pilots from brain injuries linked to extreme physical strain. The report reveals the service did not study its pilots despite credible warnings, relying on a system designed for visible injuries while leaving cumulative damage unexamined. Naval aviators face repeated body-crushing forces during carrier launches and high-G turns, yet the Navy never studied how these forces affect the brain's 100 billion neurons over time.

The findings follow a New York Times investigation linking three pilot suicides to brain injury symptoms. Former TOPGUN pilot Matthew Buckley described carrier landings as "like a car crash," reporting headaches and mood swings after 15 years of flying. Representative James Comer, committee head, demanded the Navy respond to the growing crisis.

The report states the Navy had no formal investigation, no monitoring system, and no plans for expanded brain health services. Despite internal research on immediate flying effects, the service ignored long-term impacts, maintaining no problem existed even as doctors sent pilots to civilian neurologists. Internal documents show concern spiked after three F/A-18 Super Hornet pilots died by suicide.

In 2024, a Navy doctor's informal survey found widespread untreated mental health issues, prompting a captain to warn admirals that the issue was affecting senior aviator retention.