U.S. fighter jet crashes off Virginia, injuring 1

WASHINGTON, D.C. (BNO NEWS) -- A U.S. Navy fighter jet crashed in the Atlantic Ocean off Virginia on Wednesday afternoon, injuring the pilot who ejected from the aircraft, military officials said. It comes just a week after three service members were killed in another Navy aircraft crash in the same region.

The accident occurred at around 2:30 p.m. local time on Wednesday when the F/A-18E Super Hornet aircraft went down in the ocean about 45 miles (72.4 kilometers) off Virginia Beach, a city just east of Norfolk in Virginia. The pilot was the only person on board as it conducted routine training operations.

"The pilot ejected from the aircraft and a life-raft deployed. He was recovered by a fishing vessel," the U.S. Navy said in a brief statement. The pilot was conscious and flown to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital by a Navy MH-60 Sea Hawk helicopter, but his injuries were not believed to be life-threatening.

The aircraft involved in the crash was assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 143 (VFA-143) and based at Naval Air Station Oceana. It was not immediately known what may have caused the crash, which came exactly a week after a large U.S. Navy helicopter crashed in the same region off Virginia Beach, killing three service members and injuring two others.

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