Search Operation Continues For Lemoore Again In West Pacific After Jet Collision

Two Navy California-based jet fighters crashed on Friday in far-off western Pacific Ocean, with one pilot carefully evicted although the other missing in the waters offs the U.S. territory of Wake Island.

According to the official reports stated yet, the F/A-18C Hornet fighter jets were from Carrier Air Wing 17 based at Naval Air Station Lemoore in California’s San Joaquin Valley. The air wing is getting on the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson. Moreover, the Navy Cmdr. Jeannie Groeneveld told from San Diego, the crash takes place around 5:40 p.m. local time about 290 miles west of Wake Island. It is 2,300 miles west of Honolulu. She further added that she couldn’t let loose the details of the crash, but an investigation already had in progress.

Groeneveld also stated that the rescued pilot was in better state in the medical department of the Carl Vinson.

The entire aircraft that were in the air at the time safely returned to the ship.

According to the Navy officials, the hunt for the lost pilot caught up the guided-missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill, the guided-missile destroyer USS Gridley, the USS Sperett, the USS Dewey and two helicopter squadrons.

Joshua Karsten, a public affairs officer for the U.S. 7th Fleet told, there was no sign of the pilot or the jets in the water as of Saturday afternoon. The crashed jets were from Strike Fighter Squadron 94 and Strike Fighter Squadron 113.

Groeneveld said, “Our thoughts and prayers go out to all involved.”

Carl Vinson strike group team left for San Diego on Aug. 22 for what was announced as a 9 1/2-month deployment.

When it comes to the jets, the F/A-18C is a twin-engine, single-seat strike fighter, intended to perform both as a fighter, in roles such as engaging enemy aircraft and as an attack aircraft, bombing ground targets for-instance. 56 feet long and with a wingspan of 40½ feet, Hornet C models have been deployed as of late 1980s.

The jets are capable of flying at speeds greater than Mach 1.7 and altitudes of more than 50,000 feet, according to the Navy stated by prime contractor McDonnell Douglas, jets engineer.