A navy fighter jet crashed in San Diego Bay recently, and two pilots were rescued after ejecting from the aircraft.
According to the US Navy, on February 12th around 10:15 am, an EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft crashed near Shelter Island in San Diego Bay. The two pilots on board safely ejected and were quickly rescued by a civilian boat in the bay, then transferred to a Customs and Border Protection vessel for medical evaluation at a hospital.
A Navy spokesperson confirmed via email to Dajiyuan that “both individuals are in stable condition.”
The Coast Guard and San Diego Fire Department participated in the rescue and recovery of the aircraft.
The fighter jet belonged to the Electronic Attack Squadron and was based at Whidbey Island Naval Air Station in Washington. Before the accident, the aircraft was attempting to land at Naval Air Station North Island on Coronado Island in southern San Diego County.
The civilian boat in the bay at the time of the incident was the “Premier”, a recreational fishing boat owned by H&M Landing in San Diego. The boat was carrying tourists from a private company in the bay. The company manager, Frank Ursitti, told ABC10 that the captain saw the parachutes descending and immediately steered the boat to assist in the rescue.
Ursitti mentioned that the boat crew are trained in first aid, and the pilots were well-trained, so the pilots were rescued within minutes of landing in the water. He expressed pride in his crew for being able to provide assistance at that moment.
The US Navy is conducting an investigation into the accident. According to ABC10, experts have expressed confusion over the sudden crash of the EA-18G Growler, known as one of the most sophisticated and reliable fighter jets.
The EA-18G Growler is a variant of the F/A-18 Hornet fighter jet series, equipped with advanced electronic warfare technology for large-scale offensive operations against enemy defenses. The aircraft’s technology includes communication jamming and electronic scanning array radar.
The Navy stated that this fighter jet is the first newly designed electronic warfare aircraft in 35 years.
The Growler aircraft is manufactured by Boeing. The first Growler was produced in October 2004 and made its maiden flight in August 2006.
The US Navy highlighted that over the past 15 years, the Growler aircraft has been deployed globally, supporting all major rapid response operations.