Navy Apologizes for Pilot’s Obscene Sky Art

An EA-18G Growler was the type of aircraft used to draw a phallic image above Okanogan County. U.S. Air Force

Officials at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island in Washington issued an apology after a pilot drew male genitalia in the sky above Okanogan County on Thursday. Residents captured photos and video and sent them to local news outlets to complain about the inappropriate prank.

"The Navy holds its aircrew to the highest standards and we find this absolutely unacceptable, of zero training value and we are holding the crew accountable," a representative told KREM 2 news. The FAA also told KREM 2 that there was nothing the agency could do about it because it doesn't pose a safety risk.

Needless to say, because of the juvenile nature, the images and video quickly went viral, and the incident has received significant attention from mainstream news websites and blogs. As a result, two crew members have been grounded.

"We have grounded the aircrew and are conducting a thorough investigation — and we will hold those responsible accountable for their actions," officials wrote in a statement, according to KREM 2. "The Navy apologizes for this irresponsible and immature act."

Not everyone was offended by the art, however. One resident told Military.com that he got a kick out of it when he spotted it while running errands.

"After seeing circles at the bottom, I knew what it was and started laughing," Ramone Duran said. "It was pretty funny to see that. You don't expect to see something like that."

You can view the image below:

(This article has been updated.)

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