Two US Navy F/A-18 Hornets have crashed in the western Pacific Ocean, the US Navy has confirmed. One pilot has been rescued, while the second is still missing.
“Two F/A-18 Hornets from Carrier Air Wing 17 embarked on the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) crashed at 5:40 p.m. local time, today, while operating at sea in the western Pacific Ocean,” said a statement from the US Navy.
According to a Naval Air Station Fallon spokesman, the Carrier Air Wing was here in March and April for redeployment training before deploying.
The two jets crashed about 290 miles (470 kilometers) west of Wake Island, Navy 7th Fleet spokeswoman Lt. Lauren Cole said. Wake Island is more than 2,400 miles west of Hawaii.
Two warships – the cruiser USS Bunker Hill (CG 52) and guided-missile destroyer USS Gridley (DDG 101) – are aiding with the search for the second pilot, along with several helicopters.
Neither of the Hornets has yet been found and the cause of the crash is still being investigated.
The pilot who was found was quickly returned to the USS Carl Vinson to be treated, according to the statement.
Carrier Air Wing Seventeen (CVW-17) is a United States Navy aircraft carrier airwing based at Naval Air Station Lemoore in central California.
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