Updated

Updated · Fox News · Aug 20

Bodycam Shows Marine Major Walking Away From $67 Million F-18 Crash in Washington

Updated

Updated · Fox News · Aug 20

Bodycam Shows Marine Major Walking Away From $67 Million F-18 Crash in Washington

Q: What mysterious malfunction forced a Marine pilot to abandon his $67 million jet during a routine low-level flight over Washington?

The exact malfunction has not been publicly identified. The Marine Corps has said only that the F/A-18 Hornet suffered a “non-fatal aviation mishap” during a routine low-level training flight near Rimrock Lake, and the cause remains under investigation. What is known from bodycam footage and witness accounts is that Maj. Jackson Simon was flying low and “doing some circles over the lake” before he “tucked in” and had to eject. He safely bailed out moments before the jet slammed into a mountainside, burst into flames, and sparked a small wildfire. Some outside reports have raised the possibility that the aircraft may have struck trees or even power lines during the low-level run. Video and later summaries suggest Simon came down through trees after ejecting, and some coverage cited bystanders who believed the jet hit obstacles. But investigators have not confirmed that as the cause of the crash. So, at this stage, the “mysterious malfunction” is still officially unexplained. The only firm answer is that something went wrong during the training sortie, forcing Simon to abandon the roughly $67 million aircraft, but military investigators have not yet said what that was.

1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 20

Newly released bodycam footage shows Marine Maj. Jackson Simon bloodied but walking and talking calmly after ejecting from an F-18 that crashed into a mountainside near Rimrock Lake on June 13.
Simon told deputies he had been doing low-level training circles over the lake when something went wrong, saying he was "a little frazzled" and running on adrenaline after coming through the trees.
911 calls began at 12:18 p.m. local time, with witnesses reporting the pilot parachuting out and the jet impact sparking flames and thick black smoke in a wooded area.
The Marine Corps said the Hornet, assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 11 of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, was destroyed in a non-fatal mishap about 55 miles southeast of Seattle.
The aircraft was valued at nearly $67 million, and the cause remains under investigation, a process the wing says can take several months.

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Fox News9h ago

Marine Maj. Jackson Simon Ejects from F-18 Jet in Washington Crash

What mysterious malfunction forced a Marine pilot to abandon his $67 million jet during a routine low-level flight over Washington?

How did a fighter pilot survive a catastrophic mountainside crash only to casually phone his boss moments later from the wreckage?

Will the fiery crash of a military jet near Rimrock Lake leave a lasting environmental scar on the Washington wilderness?

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Fox News9h ago

Marine Maj. Jackson Simon Ejects from F-18 Jet in Washington Crash

Bodycam Shows Marine Major Walking Away From $67 Million F-18 Crash in Washington

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