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 F/A-18E Super Hornet fighter jet crashed into ocean waters off Virginia during a routine training flight, with the pilot safely ejecting and being rescued within 1.5 hours.
The pilot was taken to a local hospital for medical evaluation, while the crashed Super Hornet has not yet been recovered, and the cause of the incident is under investigation.
This is the fourth F/A-18 loss for the U.S. Navy in recent months, following incidents in December, April, and May, all of which also involved the pilots ejecting safely.

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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.