F/A-18 Super Hornet. Source: boeing.com
A Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet fighter jet from the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier crashed in the Celebes Sea, south of the Philippines, the US Navy said on Friday.
“A pilot safely ejected and was quickly recovered by a helicopter assigned to HSC-4 aboard USS Carl Vinson while conducting routine flight operations during a transit in the Celebes Sea.
The incident occurred as the F/A-18E assigned to Carrier Air Wing 2 was on final approach to USS Carl Vinson. The incident is currently under investigation. The pilot is being assessed by the medical team on board USS Carl Vinson and there are no apparent injuries at this time,” the US Navy statement reads.
The Carl Vinson carrier strike group is intended to arrive the Sea of Japan next week in order to project the force on the Korean Peninsula amid growing tensions between the United States and North Korea.
