An F/A-18 naval fighter jet from the aircraft carrier USS ‘Ronald Reagan’ crashed into the Philippine Sea near Japan’s Okinawa Prefecture, with both pilots rescued.
The aircraft crashed after suffering a “mechanical issue” while traveling on a routine mission in the Philippine Sea, the US Navy said in a statement, adding that both pilots successfully ejected and were quickly recovered by the USS ‘Ronald Reagan.’
According to the Japanese Coast Guard, the incident happened 300km southwest of Kitadaitojima Island, which is part of the nation’s Okinawa Prefecture.
The aircraft carrier resumed normal operations, and the US Navy launched an official probe into the crash.
The lost plane belonged to the US 7th Fleet, which is based in Yokosuka, Japan. Over the past two years, the fleet gained a notorious reputation of the most ‘disaster-prone’ detachment of the US Navy. It was blighted by high-profile incidents, including ship collisions, which claimed the lives of numerous servicemen.
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Last month, an MH-60 Seahawk helicopter crash-landed on the deck of the USS ‘Ronald Reagan.’ In June, an F-15 fighter jet crashed into the sea near Okinawa. There were no fatalities in these incidents.
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