A US military fighter jet crashed in Washington state and sparked a wildfire, while the pilot ejected before the crash and suffered minor injuries, local media reported. The aircraft crashed near Rimrock Lake, prompting an emergency firefighting response in the forested area, Xinhua news agency reported.
The F/A-18 Hornet aircraft, based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in California, was conducting routine training when it went down, NBC News reported, citing authorities. The fighter jet was assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, based out of Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in California.
Local sheriff’s deputies recovered the pilot, who sustained only minor injuries and was taken to a local hospital for evaluation. The crash triggered a significant brush and wildland fire in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. Multiple firefighting helicopters and local agencies, including the Naches Fire Department, responded to contain and suppress the blaze.
The cause of the aviation mishap remains under investigation by the US Marine Corps. Earlier in April, a US Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle was shot down over Iran, triggering a combat search-and-rescue operation. Both crew members ejected from the aircraft. The F-15E is a two-seat multirole fighter with a pilot and a weapons systems officer.
In a separate incident the same day, a US Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft was also lost in the region. Its pilot was rescued safely, people familiar with the situation were quoted by local media outlets.
Initial US indications suggest both aircraft were hit by Iranian fire. Iran claimed it had downed an American fighter and circulated images purportedly showing wreckage of an F-15E, though the authenticity of those images could not be independently verified.
Videos on social media, reportedly from southwestern Iran, showed US aircraft flying low, possibly conducting combat search-and-rescue (CSAR) missions.
The US Air Force has CSAR teams in the region equipped with HC-130J Combat King II aircraft and HH-60 helicopters. At least one rescue helicopter involved in the operation was hit by Iranian fire but managed to land, according to people familiar with the matter.
