Fighter pilot ejects before Super Hornet crashes in Death Valley

A Navy pilot was forced to eject from their F/A-18F Super Hornet before it crashed in Death Valley National Park on Monday.

The fighter jet went down at about 3 p.m. in the park’s remote southern region near the Nevada border, according to a Navy statement released Tuesday.

The pilot — assigned to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 9 at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, Calif. — ejected and was quickly found by search and rescue teams.

 “The pilot was treated for minor injuries at Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, and released later that night,” the statement added.

No other details were given on the crash, which is under investigation.

The incident follows a similar accident in October 2020, when a Navy pilot in a F/A-18E Super Hornet safely ejected before their aircraft crashed during a training mission in the Mojave Desert.

That followed a July 2019 accident, when another Super Hornet crashed in Death Valley during a training mission, killing the pilot and injuring seven park visitors who had gathered at a scenic overlook.