Fighter jet crashes into San Diego Harbor, 2 pilots rescued: Fire officials
A fighter jet crashed into the San Diego Harbor on Wednesday, with the two pilots on board ejecting before being rescued by the Coast Guard, according to San Diego Fire-Rescue.
Both pilots were said to be good condition and under 24-hour medical observation out of an abundance of caution, the Navy said in a news release Wednesday evening.
The two-seat EA-18 Growler went down around 10:15 a.m. local time, according to a Navy official.
The Coast Guard said the pilots were rescued by a fishing vessel after being in the water for about a minute.
The cause of the crash is under investigation, the Navy said.
The pilots ejected during what is known as a go-around maneuver, meaning the plane had just landed and was preparing to take off again, according to a Navy official.
The crash site has been identified and secured. Any debris spotted by the public can be reported to the Navy so it can be recovered.
The aircraft was in San Diego as part of the Bamboo Eagle integrated training exercise and was operating out of North Island, according to the Navy official.
The airfield closed following the crash but is expected to re-open to allow for more flights as part of the exercise.
