Sixth U.S. F-18 fighter jet crashes in 10 months

According to CBS, a U.S. F-18 fighter jet worth $67 million went down in the waters off the coast of Virginia.

A U.S. Navy spokesperson confirmed the incident, saying the pilot had been rescued and transferred to a hospital, while the wreckage of the jet has yet to be recovered. The cause of the crash is still under investigation.

This marks the sixth such incident in less than a year.

In October 2024, two American pilots were killed during a training flight when an F-18 crashed in Washington State.

In December, CENTCOM reported that an F-18 assigned to the USS Harry S. Truman in the Red Sea was accidentally shot down by friendly fire. Both pilots survived.

Another F-18 crashed in February into San Diego Bay near Naval Base Coronado in Southern California. Both pilots ejected and were rescued by a fishing boat.

In April, another F-18 from the USS Harry S. Truman crashed into the Red Sea.

About a week later, in early May, a Super Hornet F-18 skidded off the flight deck of the USS Harry S. Truman while attempting to land.