A U.S. military pilot has died after the military jet that the pilot was flying crashed on U.S. soil, Fox News reports.
"With a heavy heart, our condolences go to the Marine's family during this time," the Marine Corps said in a statement.
The incident took place on Thursday night, Aug. 24, 2023, near Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, California.
At the moment, all that we have is preliminary information from the U.S. military about the crash. An investigation is currently underway, and more information is expected as the investigation continues.
Military.com reports that the crash occurred near midnight - at 11:54 p.m. - on Thursday "in a sparsely infrastructured area east of" Marine Corps Air State Miramar.
According to the outlet, "The crash occurred on government property, according to a previous press release issued by Marine Corps Air Station Miramar Friday morning. The jet was operating out of the installation about 15 miles north of San Diego."
The pilot, whose death has been confirmed, was the only person on board the aircraft.
The jet that the pilot was flying, according to Military.com, "belonged to Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 224, which is a unit based in Beaufort, South Carolina. The parent unit to the squadron is the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing."
The pilot's body, according to the U.S. military, has been recovered at the crash site. The body was discovered by search and rescue teams that had been sent to the site of the crash.
The pilot's identity, at the time of this writing, has not been released. But, it is expected to be released very soon, perhaps as early as Saturday, Aug. 26, 2023. The purpose of the delay is to allow the U.S. military to first notify the pilot's next of kin.
Other details, however, have been released, including the type of aircraft that crashed: it is an F/A-18 Hornet.
The U.S. Navy's website describes the F/A-18 Hornet as "the workhorse of Marine Corps tactical aviation," adding that it "supports operation deployments around the globe."
"F/A-18 Hornet became the nation’s first all-weather fighter and attack aircraft, and was designed for traditional strike applications such as interdiction and close air support without compromising its fighter capabilities," the Navy writes.
It continues, "The F/A-18 A-D is employed in Marine Corps fighter attack squadrons, U.S. Navy and Marine Corps Reserve squadrons, the Navy Flight Demonstration Team (Blue Angles), and various other fleet support roles."
