A crew of four sailors flying in a Navy E-2C Hawkeye survived a crash in Virginia by bailing out of the aircraft.
The aircraft is based out of Naval Station Norfolk and crashed near Wallops Island shortly before 4 p.m. on Monday, Cmdr. Jennifer Cragg of Naval Air Force Atlantic said in a statement after the incident.
“The two pilots and two crewmembers bailed out of the aircraft safely through the main cabin door. At the time of the crash, the E-2 was conducting a training flight,” Cragg said. “The pilots and aircrew bailed out of the aircraft using parachutes located in the aircraft. The crew are required to strap on the parachutes when they get aboard the aircraft.”
The Hawkeye is a command-and-control type aircraft with twin turboprops and a distinctive satellite dish affixed to the top of it. It is not immediately clear what caused the plane to crash, although Cragg said the matter is under investigation.
Earlier this year, an Air Force E-11A with Battlefield Airborne Communications Node crashed in Afghanistan’s Ghazni province. The Pentagon said that two airmen were killed in the crash.
