Navy Jet Crashes Off San Diego Coast; Crew Rescued by Sportfishing Boat
Two crew members ejected from a US Navy EA-18G Growler aircraft before it crashed off the coast of San Diego on Wednesday, The Associated Press reports.
Both crew members were quickly rescued by a nearby sportfishing boat, the Premier, and are reported to be in stable condition.
According to Coast Guard spokesperson Petty Officer Christopher Sappey, the crew members were initially picked up by the Premier Sportfishing vessel and then transferred to a US Customs and Border Protection craft. They were subsequently transported to a local hospital for evaluation.
Navy spokesperson Cmdr. Beth Teach stated that the crash occurred during a “go-around maneuver,” a procedure in which the aircraft lands and then immediately takes off again. The cause of the crash is currently under investigation.
Brandon Viets, captain of the Premier, recounted hearing a jet taking off from a naval base that sounded “a little louder than normal.” Viets, who was leading a fishing trip with a dozen passengers near Point Loma, witnessed the crew ejecting shortly after takeoff.
“He turned and saw two people falling with parachutes,” according to a live webcam recording of San Diego harbor traffic capturing the Premier’s communication with the Coast Guard. The webcam audio also recorded someone aboard the Premier reporting, “We have both pilots on board and safe.”
Viets immediately steered his boat towards the parachuting crew members. He described the jet remaining airborne for several minutes after the ejection before crashing into the water.
The Coast Guard has deployed two vessels to secure the wreckage of the Growler in San Diego Harbor.
The EA-18G Growler is a two-seat jet specialized in electronic warfare.
This incident follows a similar crash last October in Washington state, where a Navy aircraft crashed during a routine training flight, resulting in the deaths of both crew members. The wreckage in that incident was located in remote mountainous terrain.
