'Hey, buddy, I just crashed': Footage shows pilot walking away from fighter jet crash
New footage shows the moment local authorities encountered a pilot who had ejected from a fighter jet before it crashed into a mountainside earlier this summer.
In June, an F/A-18 Hornet fighter jet crashed in a remote area of Washington state, sending a cloud of black smoke into the sky and igniting a nearby wildfire. The pilot, a member of Marine Aircraft Group 11 based in California, ejected safely before the plane struck a mountain slope. New footage released by the Yakima County Sheriff's Office shows the shaken-up pilot walking towards deputies, his face injured but otherwise unharmed.
When questioned about the aircraft, the pilot identified it as an F-18 and explained that they had been performing low-level training circles over Rimrock Lake. One witness described the impact as severe, noting that the pilot "tucked in" upon hitting the tree. Later, the pilot used his phone to call for help, uttering, "Hey, buddy, I just crashed."
Although he suffered minor facial lacerations, the pilot's injuries were determined to be non-life-threatening. The 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing stated that the incident was a non-fatal aviation mishap during routine training. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News (US)'s reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
