A pilot was rescued by the U.S. Navy on Tuesday evening after a military training jet plunged into the Pacific Ocean about six miles northwest of Morro Bay. The civilian pilot, flying a single-seat Mk.58 Hawker Hunter fighter jet, was able to eject safely from the aircraft before impact.
The incident occurred around 6:40 p.m. The pilot communicated to an air traffic controller, "Mayday! Mayday! Mayday! I have lost thrust in my engine," according to an audio broadcast. Air traffic controllers attempted to direct the pilot toward Paso Robles, an airport approximately 60 miles away.
The pilot's aircraft, operated by Airborne Tactical Advantage Co. (ATAC), a private government contractor, was equipped with a British-designed Martin-Baker ejection seat. Cmdr. Amelia Umayam, a public affairs specialist for Naval Air Forces, U.S. Pacific Fleet, confirmed that a search-and-rescue crew from Naval Air Station Lemoore located and rescued the pilot from the ocean about an hour later, around 7:30 p.m. John Rupp, director of global military sales at ATAC, stated the pilot was "safe and sound" and was taken to a hospital in Fresno, with hopes for release that day.
ATAC operates the Hawker Hunter jets as part of contracts to train crews for the U.S. Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. The aircraft, with call sign SNAKE4, was conducting exercises off the coast of Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties. ATAC's website describes the Hawker Hunter as a versatile asset, used for various roles including air-to-air, air-to-surface, and integrated training exercises.
Following the crash, Rupp addressed the incident, stating that ATAC's fleet undergoes a routine, scheduled inspection regimen and that aircraft receive flight clearance from the U.S. Navy. He added that the company does not believe there are any overarching technical deficiencies in the aircraft, and they would not be able to gain flight clearance if such issues were present. He noted that the jets also undergo a turnaround inspection every time they fly.
This is not the first time a Hawker Hunter operated by ATAC has experienced engine power loss off the California coast. Last October, another ATAC Hawker Hunter went down near Big Sur, with the pilot also being rescued. A subsequent report by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) was unable to determine the reason for that engine power loss. The pilot in that incident was also providing adversary and tactical training for military aircrews when the engine failed after a power reduction.
In 2022, another ATAC Hawker Hunter crashed in the Atlantic Ocean off Wilmington, N.C., after a partial loss of engine power. The NTSB report for that incident found that a bearing in the high-pressure fuel pump had failed. The pilot ejected and sustained serious injuries.
After Tuesday's crash, Coast Guard Southwest District spokesperson Kenneth Weise said crews searched the area for wreckage but found none, noting it was already dark. Weise estimated the jet likely carried between 400 and 1,000 gallons of fuel, prompting investigation into potential navigational hazards or signs of pollution. Mariners are urged to navigate the area with caution and report any debris or pollution to U.S. Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach.
Separately, other military aircraft incidents have occurred recently in Southern California. Last Friday, a pilot safely ejected from an F-35B jet before it crashed at the U.S. Marine Corps’ air base in Miramar, San Diego. Additionally, eight people aboard a U.S. Air Force B-52 bomber plane were presumed dead after it crashed during a "routine test mission" at Edwards Air Force Base.