F/A-18 Crashes in Washington State
A Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet crashed near Rimrock Lake during a routine training flight Saturday, sparking a wildfire and prompting evacuations. The pilot ejected safely.
A U.S. Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet fighter jet crashed Saturday near Rimrock Lake in Washington state during a routine training mission, sparking a wildfire that forced the evacuation of campers and prompted a large firefighting response.
The crash occurred at approximately noon. The pilot sustained minor injuries after ejecting from the aircraft and was transported to a hospital, the Yakima County Sheriff's Office said.
The Marine Corps identified the aircraft as an F/A-18 Hornet assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, California. The jet "experienced a non-fatal aviation mishap while conducting routine training approximately 55 miles southeast of Seattle, Washington," the service said in a statement.
The pilot was rescued by a Yakima County sheriff's deputy assigned to the mountain passes.
Witnesses on the ground described hearing the moment the jet went down. "A couple of jets had already buzzed over the lake. We heard another one coming but it made popping sounds. We thought it was just air noises from the jet. When we walked down to the lakefront, we could see the smoke," said Tina Liniger, who was watching the planes train lakeside when the crash occurred.
The wildfire ignited by the crash, dubbed the Pine Tree Fire, grew to two acres as of 5:04 p.m., according to the National Interagency Fire Center. Fire crews from the U.S. Forest Service's Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest fought the blaze from the air and on the ground, protecting structures near the Bear Creek cabins. Crews planned to return Sunday for mop-up operations.
The Naches Fire Department said campers were being evacuated and that the "area should be avoided for the foreseeable future."
The Marine Corps said in a statement: "The cause of the mishap is currently under investigation. To preserve the integrity of the investigation, no additional details are available at this time. Mishap investigations can take several months to complete, depending on various factors."
The crash is not the first near Mount Rainier in recent years. In 2024, a Navy EA-18G Growler went down in the area during a routine training mission, killing both crew members.