Navy pilot rescued after ejecting from Super Hornet off Virginia coast

A statement from the Navy relayed by US Naval Institute News read: “At approximately 9:53 a.m. EDT, a pilot assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 83, ejected from an F/A-18E Super Hornet while operating off the coast of Virginia during a routine training flight. Multiple search and rescue assets were deployed and quickly arrived on scene. The pilot was rescued at approximately 11:21 a.m. EDT and was transported to a local hospital for further medical evaluation. The F/A-18E remains in the water where it crashed.”

This event is part of a recent series of Class A Mishaps involving Navy strike fighters over several months. These incidents include both accidents during operations and mishaps such as friendly fire, with no loss of life reported so far. In December, an F/A-18F was shot down by USS Gettysburg during exercises; both crew members survived. In May, two separate Super Hornets assigned to USS Truman were lost in the Red Sea—one after crashing during landing attempts and another after falling from the hangar deck while being moved.

The Naval Safety Command classifies Class A Mishaps as those resulting in $2,500,000 or more in damages or destruction of an aircraft, fatality, or permanent total disability.

In July 2025, an F-35C attached to VFA 125 crashed near Naval Air Station Lemoore following an ejection; no major injuries were reported due to rapid emergency response.

These incidents have resulted in significant financial losses for naval aviation—four fourth-generation strike fighters valued at $60 million each and one fifth-generation F-35C worth about $100 million have been destroyed since December 2024.

Despite these events occurring under different circumstances, there is currently no indication of systemic failure within any specific community or protocol according to ongoing investigations by Navy leadership.

“At approximately 9:53 a.m. EDT, a pilot assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 83, ejected from an F/A-18E Super Hornet while operating off the coast of Virginia during a routine training flight. Multiple search and rescue assets were deployed and quickly arrived on scene. The pilot was rescued at approximately 11:21 a.m. EDT and was transported to a local hospital for further medical evaluation. The F/A-18E remains in the water where it crashed.”