A pilot safely ejected from an F/A-18 Hornet on Saturday after experiencing an aviation mishap 55 miles southeast of Seattle, Washington, according to the U.S. Marine Corps.
The jet, assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, was conducting a routine training exercise when it crashed, the service confirmed.
“The cause of the mishap is currently under investigation,” the Marine Corps said.
The Yakima County Sheriff’s Office received calls around 12:15 p.m. involving a military plane that crashed into a mountain in the area of Rimrock Lake.
A law enforcement officer responded to the scene and helped transport a pilot who’d ejected from the jet to a hospital, where he recovered from minor injuries.
A wildfire was reported in the area shortly after, requiring intervention from the Naches Fire Department, which deployed a helicopter in tandem with the U.S. Forest Service in Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest to subdue the flames.
Local enforcement evacuated campers in the area after the fire broke out.
The 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing would not confirm that the aviation mishap was the cause of the fire.
The Defense Department released data in November 2025 that showed a sizable uptick in aviation mishaps.
The rate of significant accidents per 100,000 flight hours rose 55% in fiscal 2024 in comparison with the four years that preceded it.
Less than a year ago Washington state was the site of a tragic military mishap.
In October 2025, two Navy pilots died when their EA-18G Growler crashed east of Mount Rainier.
Riley Ceder is a reporter at Military Times, where he covers breaking news, criminal justice, investigations, and cyber. He previously worked as an investigative practicum student at The Washington Post, where he contributed to the Abused by the Badge investigation.
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