San Diego jet crash: Fishermen rescue pilots after emergency ejection

Two crew members ejected from a Navy E/A-18G Growler moments before it crashed into the waters off the San Diego coast on February 12.

Authorities confirmed that the pilots were swiftly rescued by a nearby sportfishing boat, Caliber.Az reports via US media.

According to Coast Guard spokesperson Petty Officer Christopher Sappey, the crew members were initially picked up by the vessel Premier before being transferred to a Customs and Border Protection craft.

The crash occurred as the aircraft was executing a “go-around manoeuvre,” where it lands and then takes off again, Navy spokesperson Cmdr. Beth Teach explained. The cause of the crash is under investigation.

A live webcam of San Diego harbour traffic captured radio chatter from the Premier, with someone aboard reporting to the Coast Guard that the pilots ejected right after takeoff.

“We’re on our way to help assist,” a crew member radioed around 10:14 a.m. “They’re in the water.” Minutes later, another transmission confirmed: “We have both pilots on board and safe.”

Brandon Viets, captain of the Premier, was leading a fishing trip near Point Loma when he heard a jet taking off from the naval base. The sound seemed unusually loud.

Turning toward the sky, he saw two parachutes descending. Without hesitation, he steered his boat toward them.

“The jet stayed in the air for several minutes before nosediving into the water,” Viets recalled. “All I could see was a plume of water, mud, and muck shooting 70 to 80 feet into the air.”

Frank Ursitti, general manager of Premier's owner H&M Landing, praised Viets and his crew for their quick response. “Thanks to their professionalism, these pilots were brought to safety,” he said in a statement.

Authorities confirmed that both crew members were taken to a hospital and were in stable condition. Meanwhile, the Coast Guard deployed two vessels to secure the Growler's wreckage in San Diego Harbor, Sappey said.

The E/A-18G Growler is a two-seat electronic warfare aircraft used by the Navy. This incident follows a similar crash last October 2024 in Washington state, where another Growler went down during a routine training flight, tragically killing both crew members.

By Tamilla Hasanova