Navy pilot rescued from Virginia waters as F/A-18 fleet faces string of recent mishaps

A Navy pilot was rescued from the waters off Virginia on Wednesday after an F/A-18 Super Hornet went down during a routine training flight.

The crash happened around 10 a.m. ET, according to Lt. Jackie Parashar, a spokesperson for Naval Air Force Atlantic. The pilot, assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 83 in Virginia Beach, was found by search and rescue crews at 11:21 a.m. and taken to a local hospital. The jet remains in the water as the Navy investigates the cause.

Once the investigation is complete, the Navy will decide whether to order a safety stand-down — a pause in operations to focus on safety training and risk reduction.

The incident is the latest in a string of F/A-18 mishaps. In May, a Super Hornet slid into the Red Sea after failing to land on the USS Harry S. Truman. Both pilots ejected safely. A week earlier, another jet rolled off the Truman’s deck d...