Sixth US Navy F-18 fighter jet crashes off Virginia coast in 10 months
A US Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet crashed off the coast of Virginia on Wednesday (29 Asad 1404) during a routine training flight in the Atlantic Ocean, according to CBS.
The pilot of the fighter jet, who was from Strike Fighter Squadron 83 (VFA-83) based at Oceana Air Force Base in Virginia Beach, ejected before the crash and was rescued from the water by Coast Guard search and rescue teams at around 11:21 a.m.
The wreckage of the fighter jet remains in the water and an investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the crash.
This is the sixth loss of US Navy F-18 fighter jets in the past 10 months.
Earlier, in October 2024, two pilots were killed when an EA-18G Growler fighter jet crashed near Mount Rainier in Washington state.
Also in April and May 2025, two other F-18s crashed in the Red Sea from the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman.
The production cost of each F-18 Super Hornet is estimated at about $67 million.
