A military training fighter jet crashed off the coast of California Tuesday, with the pilot rescued from the water by a search-and-rescue helicopter, officials told CNN affiliates KMPH and KCRA.
The jet, a MK-58 Hawker Hunter, took off from Point Mugu Naval Air Station and flew northwest, according to flight tracking site Flightradar24. It circled multiple times and was traveling toward the coast when it disappeared from radar around 6:49 p.m. near Morro Bay.
In audio captured by liveatc.net, the pilot can be heard radioing a distress signal, saying “Mayday! Mayday! Mayday! I have lost thrust in my engine.”
The pilot, who was the only person on board, reported an engine issue before the aircraft crashed, the Federal Aviation Administration confirmed to CNN in a statement.
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A Naval Air Station Lemoore UH-60 search-and-rescue helicopter was dispatched and rescued the pilot, KMPH reported, citing the US Coast Guard.
The pilot, who has not been identified, was transferred to Fresno’s Community Hospital.
The aircraft, which was built in 1973, was operated by Air Tactical Advantage Company (ATAC), a military contractor, according to FAA records.
ATAC helps train crews from the US Navy, US Air Force and US Marine Corps and regularly operates out of as many as 25 different air bases per year, its website said. It has a fleet of over 90 aircraft and provides contracted air support capabilities to the US Department of Defense.
John Rupp, director of Global Military Sales at ATAC, told KMPH that the pilot was doing well and undergoing tests.
He could not specify details about the training, but said it involved the US Navy and the US Marine Corps. All of ATAC’s pilots are former military jet pilots with many flying hours, he added.
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The jet was substantially damaged, according to a preliminary report, according to KCRA. It’s too early to know if the aircraft will be recovered, how deep it is, or the cost to retrieve it, Rudd also told KMPH.
The MK-58 Hawker Hunter is a British single-seat fighter jet by Hawker Aircraft, originally developed in the 1950s for the UK’s Royal Air Force. Today, it is widely used in training exercises.
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