Marine F/A-18 Crashes Near Rimrock Lake After Training Flight

Overview

• The F/A-18, assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 11 of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, crashed near Rimrock Lake during a routine training mission and the pilot ejected and was recovered with only minor injuries.
• Local deputies located the pilot and took them for medical evaluation after the ejection, and the Marines have not publicly identified the aviator while the inquiry proceeds.
• Wreckage from the crash ignited a wildfire in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest that prompted campground evacuations, road closures, and a multi-agency firefighting response using engines and helicopters before crews contained the blaze.
• The Marine Corps has opened a formal mishap investigation and is working with federal and state officials to secure the scene, but service statements say cause and operational details will be withheld until the inquiry is complete.
• The incident renews scrutiny of the service’s continued use of legacy F/A-18 Hornets against a backdrop of Defense Department data showing a recent rise in military aviation mishaps and a fatal Navy crash in the region last year.