Two U.S. Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jets collided off the coast of North Carolina Thursday, the Coast Guard confirmed.
All four crewmembers ejected and were rescued by the Coast Guard, Petty Officer Fagal Nifin said. The crew were taken to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital and were “alert and talking,” Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said.
Cook said the planes were flying off Cape Hatteras when they were involved in “an in-flight mishap” around 10:40 a.m. during a “routine training mission.”
The Navy said the planes were both from Strike Fighter Squadron 211, based out of Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach.
A full investigation is underway, but when two fighter jets crash at the same time, the most likely cause is that they came in contact with each other, Pentagon officials say.
