US Marine Corps F/A-18 jet crashes in Washington state, sparking wildfire; pilot slightly injured
A U.S. Marine Corps fighter pilot was slightly injured Saturday when his plane crashed into a mountain in Washington state, sparking a wildfire, authorities said.According to the Yakima County Sheriff’s Office, the incident occurred near Rimrock Lake around 12:15 p.m. local time.“We received multiple calls informing us that a military aircraft crashed on a mountain in our county and the pilot ejected from the aircraft,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. “Our Yamaguchi Deputy made contact with the pilot, who suffered minor injuries and was transported to the hospital. The crash resulted in a fire in the area.”The statement further said that the military has been notified and will deploy personnel and resources to the crash site.According to CBS News, citing sources from the U.S. Marine Corps, the aircraft involved was an F/A-18 Hornet stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, California.The Marine Corps statement said the fighter jet, belonging to the 11th Marine Aircraft Group, 3rd Marine Regiment, suffered a “non-fatal accident” during a routine training exercise. The accident occurred about 55 miles southeast of Seattle.The cause of the incident is under investigation and may take several months to determine.
