A US Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet crashed Friday in the Southern California desert, killing the pilot, according to a government press release.
The crash occurred at 2:30 p.m. PST in the Mojave Desert in San Bernardino County.
"The pilot is confirmed deceased," read the statement from the US Navy.
"The identity of the pilot will not be released until 24 hours after the next of kin have been notified. Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake Federal Firefighters and Naval Security Forces are on site. No civilians were harmed in this incident," the statement continued.
A spokesperson for the service told USNI News there were no other aircraft involved in the crash. An investigation has been launched into what led to the Super Hornet's crash.
The Super Hornet entered fleet service with the Navy in 1999. It achieved operating ability in 2001 with the service's Strike Fighter Squadron 115 at Naval Air Station Lemoore.
In nearby Death Valley, the Navy has a large installation used to research, test, and evaluate weapons. There have been three Super Hornet crashes in the last several years in the area, one in October with the pilot sustaining minor injuries, another in 2020 with the pilot surviving, and a 2019 crash that resulted in the death of a pilot.
A US Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet crashed Friday in the Southern California desert, killing the pilot, according to a government press release.
The crash occurred at 2:30 p.m. PST in the Mojave Desert in San Bernardino County.
“The pilot is confirmed deceased,” read the statement from the US Navy.
“The identity of the pilot will not be released until 24 hours after the next of kin have been notified. Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake Federal Firefighters and Naval Security Forces are on site. No civilians were harmed in this incident,” the statement continued.
A spokesperson for the service told USNI News there were no other aircraft involved in the crash. An investigation has been launched into what led to the Super Hornet’s crash.
The Super Hornet entered fleet service with the Navy in 1999. It achieved operating ability in 2001 with the service’s Strike Fighter Squadron 115 at Naval Air Station Lemoore.
In nearby Death Valley, the Navy has a large installation used to research, test, and evaluate weapons. There have been three Super Hornet crashes in the last several years in the area, one in October with the pilot sustaining minor injuries, another in 2020 with the pilot surviving, and a 2019 crash that resulted in the death of a pilot.
