Washington, DC – US authorities announced Saturday afternoon that a US Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet fighter jet crashed into a mountain in Yakima County, Washington. The crash, which occurred during a routine training mission, sparked a large wildfire in the area, prompting a large-scale response from emergency teams.
The pilot survived, and details of the accident.
The military confirmed that the pilot survived after successfully ejecting moments before the crash. He was later found and transported to a hospital for treatment of minor injuries. A statement from the Marine Corps indicated that the aircraft belonged to the 3rd Marine Air Wing, based at Miramar Air Station in San Diego, California.
The military described the incident as a “non-fatal aviation accident.” It occurred approximately 55 miles southeast of Seattle.
Firefighters are mobilized to extinguish the fires
The Yakima County Sheriff’s Office reported that the crash site is near Lake Rimrock. The incident sparked a wildfire in the Okanogan-Wenachi National Forest.
Due to the fire’s rapid spread, authorities took immediate action to evacuate hikers and campers from the surrounding area for their safety.
Authorities deployed ground firefighting crews, supported by specialized forest firefighting helicopters, in an effort to control the flames and prevent their spread to wider areas.
A thorough investigation is underway to determine the precise cause of the fighter jet’s loss of control and subsequent crash into the mountain. This is being done while an ongoing assessment of the environmental damage caused to the national forest by the fire is also being conducted.
The F/A-18 Hornet is a mainstay of the U.S. Marine Corps and Navy. Despite its long operational history, training accidents do occur. The military takes these incidents very seriously, launching thorough technical investigations to uncover any potential defects or human error. Such errors can occur during challenging maneuvers and training flights conducted by the fighters in diverse terrains.
