US fighter jet crashes into ground, pilot killed

A US Marine Corps F/A-18D fighter jet crashed during a night training mission. The pilot ejected but died.

The US Marine Corps said the F/A-18D multi-role fighter crashed at 11:54 p.m. on August 24 (1:54 p.m. on August 25, Hanoi time) during a night training mission at Miramar base in California. This is a two-seat fighter version, but there was only one pilot on board at the time of the accident.

Rescuers found the pilot’s body near the scene, with local media saying he ejected but died. The pilot’s identity will not be released until his family is notified.

The scene of the F/A-18D plane crash in California, USA, on August 24. Photo: KGTV

The fighter jet belonged to the 224th Marine Attack Squadron, based in South Carolina. "The crash site is located on government-owned land east of the base, and there is no evidence of damage on the ground," Miramar said in a statement.

The F/A-18C/D Hornet is a multi-role carrier-based fighter developed for the US Navy and Marine Corps, to replace many older fighter and attack aircraft in service. The US has exported this aircraft to 7 countries around the world.

Each Hornet can carry up to 6.2 tons of weapons on nine hardpoints, including AIM-7 Sparrow medium-range air-to-air missiles, AIM-120 AMRAAM and short-range AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles, as well as a variety of anti-ship, anti-surface missiles and smart bombs.

F/A-18Ds of the 224th Fighter Wing train in Florida in June. Photo: USMC

The F/A-18C is a single-seat version, while the two-seat F/A-18D can be configured for all-weather training or attack missions. The US Marine Corps Air Force primarily uses the F/A-18D for night attack or forward air command missions.

Vu Anh (According to Reuters )

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