Pilot Rescued After Another F/A-18 Crash

Incident marks the Navy’s fourth Super Hornet loss in less than a year.

Zach Vasile

Friday, August 22, 2025 at 09:44 AM ET

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Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

The U.S. Navy’s F/A-18F Block III Super Hornet takes to the skies over St. Louis, Missouri. [Credit: Boeing]

Key Takeaways:

A U.S. Navy pilot was safely rescued after ejecting from an F/A-18E Super Hornet that crashed into the ocean off Virginia during a routine training flight.
The pilot was hospitalized for evaluation, the crashed jet has not been recovered, and the cause of the incident is currently under investigation.
This incident marks the latest in a series of F/A-18 losses for the Navy in recent months, following three other crashes or overboard incidents since December.

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A U.S. Navy pilot was rescued Wednesday morning after their F/A-18E Super Hornet fighter jet crashed into ocean waters off of Virginia.

In a statement, Navy spokesperson Lieutenant Jackie Parashar confirmed a pilot assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 83 ejected from their aircraft during a routine training flight. Search and rescue teams were deployed, and after about an hour and a half, the pilot was located and pulled from the water.