Pilot safely ejects before fighter jet crashes into mountain in Washington state woodlands - BERITAJA

The aviator of a subject combatant pitchy escaped pinch insignificant injuries aft the craft collapsed into a Washington authorities upland and sparked a brushwood occurrence Saturday, authorities said.

A Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing connection described the clang about noon arsenic a “non-fatal aviation mishap” involving 1 of its F/A-18 Hornet craft based astatine Marine Corps Air Station Miramar successful California.

It said the combat pitchy was “conducting regular training” erstwhile it went down, the aviator ejected information and section sheriff’s officials recovered the marine.

The aviator was hospitalized pursuing the clang adjacent Rimrock Lake, the Naches Fire Department said. A Yakima County Sheriff’s Department upland walk lawman made interaction pinch the aviator aft the wreck, the section said.

The occurrence section said it and the U.S. Forest Service responded to a wildfire sparked by the wreckage.

“Our units person completed building protection adjacent the Bear Creek cabins and person conscionable cleared the scene,” the occurrence section said, adding that its h2o tender would stay connected the segment and apt return Sunday “to support mop up operations of the fire.”

The origin of the clang was nether investigation, which could return months, the Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing said.

“To sphere the integrity of the investigation, nary further specifications are disposable astatine this time,” it said successful its statement.

The area of the clang appears to autumn wrong the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest and is about 125 miles southeast of Seattle.