Navy Pilot Safely Rescued After Super Hornet Crash Off Virginia Coast

A U.S. Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet pilot from Strike Fighter Squadron 83, the “Rampagers,” was safely recovered on Wednesday after ejecting during a routine training flight off the coast of Virginia.

The Incident

The pilot ejected at approximately 9:53 a.m. Eastern time on August 20, 2025. Search and rescue assets were immediately deployed, and at 11:21 a.m. the aviator was recovered from the sea and transported to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital for medical evaluation. The Navy reports the pilot is in stable condition.

The single-seat fighter crashed into the water after the ejection and currently remains on the seabed. The cause of the mishap is under investigation.

Rescue Efforts

The recovery was a joint effort between the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard. An MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter and HC-130J Hercules from the Coast Guard, along with a Navy MH-60S Knighthawk, participated in the search. According to flight tracking reports, the pilot was ultimately hoisted from the water by a Jayhawk helicopter, serial number 6052.

Background

Strike Fighter Squadron 83 operates out of Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach. The unit, which recently deployed aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower during operations in Europe and the Middle East, flies the F/A-18E Super Hornet, the Navy’s primary carrier-based strike fighter.

This latest crash marks the fourth Super Hornet lost by the Navy in the past year, highlighting ongoing concerns after three airframes were lost during USS Harry S. Truman’s deployment and an EA-18G Growler accident in San Diego Bay earlier in 2025.