![F/A-18 Hornet [Credit: U.S. Marine Corps/Cpl. Ryan Ulibarri]](/cdn-cgi/image/onerror=redirect,width=640,height=640,format=webp/https://storage.googleapis.com/uploads.mongoosehq.com/url/media/145493521/9f198ad41f5e5720d4b65fe394b663170ac5ed684c15d17ec20b7c0cc3b2a8f5)
Overview
- An F/A-18 Hornet from Marine Aircraft Group 11 crashed during a routine training mission near Rimrock Lake, Washington, on Saturday and the pilot ejected safely.
- Local law enforcement recovered the pilot and transported him to a hospital where he was treated for minor injuries and released.
- A wildfire was reported shortly after the crash, forcing camper evacuations and road closures while Naches Fire Department and U.S. Forest Service crews used engines and helicopters to contain roughly 15 acres of fire.
- The 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing has opened a formal, multi‑month investigation and has not confirmed whether the aviation mishap caused the blaze.
- The incident comes as Defense Department data showed a 55% rise in significant aviation mishaps in fiscal 2024 and follows a fatal Navy EA-18G crash in Washington in October 2025, raising broader questions about military flight safety.