SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Two pilots were rescued after a fighter jet crashed into the San Diego Bay in the area of 1401 Shelter Island Drive Wednesday morning, according to the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department.
A U.S. Navy spokesperson confirmed to ABC 10News that the aircraft was an E/A-18 G Growler. The spokesperson said the aircrew safely ejected, and they were taken out of the water. The U.S. Coast Guard says the pilots were rescued by good Samaritans in a fishing boat after they were only in the water for a minute.
On Friday, the Navy said it could take up to two weeks to remove the jet and debris from the bay. In the meantime, it's asking the public to steer clear of the area as the recovery effort continues. Additionally, the Navy says that if debris were to wash ashore away from the crash site, people shouldn't touch it, either.
- CONTINUING COVERAGE:
The pilots were then transferred to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection boat on the scene before being taken to the hospital, per the Coast Guard.
The Port of San Diego Harbor Police Department held a 1 p.m. press conference to provide more information about the fighter jet crash.
WATCH: Team 10 investigator Austin Grabish spoke to a former Pentagon fighter jet analyst, who was 'puzzled' by the crash
Boat traffic in the Shelter Island Basin has been limited to emergency vessels only, per Harbor PD. Kellogg Beach was closed as well due to the emergency response.
Harbor PD says the main channel of San Diego Bay remains open, in and out, but there will be a large Coast Guard and Navy presence holding the maritime perimeter of the debris field until it's entirely cleared out. Since the Navy is the leading agency in this investigation, Harbor PD could not answer any questions about the pilots or aircraft.
An ABC 10News crew was at the scene reporting on another story when they saw the immediate aftermath of the crash a little before 10:30 a.m.
Naval Air Station North Island sits directly east of where our reporting team was at the time of the crash. The Navy says the crash happened while the pilots were trying to land. It's unclear at this point where they were flying from or what caused the crash.
WATCH: Surveillance video from Kona Kai Marina shows the moment the jet nosedived into the water
@abc10news FIGHTER JET CRASH: A surveillance camera at the Kona Kai Marina caught the moment a Navy fighter jet dove straight into the waters of the San Diego Bay, nearby Shelter Island Drive. ABC 10News anchor Aaron Dickens spoke to an eyewitness of the crash, who was working at the time. She saw the aircraft plummet out of the sky from a second-story vantage point on Kellogg Street, right off the water at San Antonio Avenue. Debris started to wash up on the beach in that area shortly after. As of 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Navy crews were still working to recover the aircraft and contain the fuel in the bay. #breakingnews #military #navy #fighterjet ♬ original sound - ABC 10News San Diego
Both pilots were taken to UC San Diego Health in Hillcrest. An ABC 10News reporter saw the pilots as they were taken into the hospital.
The extent of the pilots' injuries is unclear at this point; however, they were in stable condition.
The Navy says it has multiple crews at the crash site working to remove debris from the water and contain fuel from spilling. As of 5 p.m. Wednesday, the jet was still in the water.
According to the Navy, the E/A-18 G Growler is a variant in the F/A-18 family of aircraft, which utilizes the F/A-18F Super Hornet platform with "a sophisticated electronic warfare suite. The Growler was assigned to Electronic Attack Squadron 135, which is based out of the Naval Air Station Whidbey Island in Washington.
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The Navy has multiple crews at the crash site on San Diego Bay now working to contain fuel from spilling. The fighter jet is still in the water. pic.twitter.com/vM0XyMrgL3
— Austin Grabish (@AustinGrabish) February 12, 2025
