San Diego crash: Navy Pilots safe as footage shows EA-18G Growler jet crashing into the bay

A U.S. Navy EA-18G Growler jet was part of the San Diego crash on Wednesday where two crew members safely ejected moments before impact. The pilots were rescued by the Premier, a sportfishing boat, before being transferred to a Customs and Border Protection craft, according to Coast Guard spokesperson Petty Officer Christopher Sappey.

The San Diego crash happened during a 'go-around maneuver,' in which the aircraft had landed and was taking off again, Navy spokesperson Cmdr. Beth Teach confirmed. The cause of the accident remains under investigation.

A live webcam of the San Diego crash that was retrieved from the harbor traffic captured the moment someone aboard the Premier radioed the Coast Guard, saying:

“We’re on our way to help assist. They’re in the water.”

Brandon Viets, the captain of the Premier, was out with a dozen passengers near Point Loma when he heard a jet taking off from the naval base, describing the sound as 'louder than normal.' Turning to look, he saw two parachutes descending and immediately steered his boat toward them. Viets recounted:

"The jet remained in the air for several minutes before diving into the water. All I could see was a plume of water and mud and muck, 70 to 80 feet tall."

Frank Ursitti, general manager of H&M Landing, praised the quick response of Viets and his crew. He said:

“Captain Brandon Viets and the crew of the Premier acted swiftly, and thanks to their professionalism, were able to bring these pilots to safety,”

Both pilots were taken to a hospital in stable condition. Meanwhile, the Coast Guard deployed two vessels to secure the Growler wreckage in the San Diego Harbor.

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Analyzing the San Diego crash

The crash of a U.S. Navy EA-18G Growler into San Diego Bay on Wednesday has left aviation experts puzzled, with one former Pentagon analyst calling the incident 'absurd.'

Dr. Rex Rivolo, a former Pentagon pilot and analyst who evaluated F/A-18 aircraft from 1992 to 2009, expressed disbelief that a modern, twin-engine aircraft operating in non-combat conditions could crash so suddenly. Speaking to ABC 10News, he said:

“For a modern aircraft with two engines, not in combat, not on the range, just flying around to crash, is just absurd,”

The two pilots ejected safely and survived, but the military has not yet released details on why they were forced to abandon the aircraft. The Navy confirmed that the crash occurred during the landing.

The EA-18G Growler is a variant of the F/A-18 Super Hornet. It is equipped with advanced electronic warfare capabilities. Rivolo, who extensively evaluated the aircraft, described it as a 'super shining star' in aviation performance. He said:

“There were never any issues. It performed better than it was designed to do, and it never really had any concerns of any kind. So, the program was really a showpiece of how to do things right,”

Residents near the crash site reported hearing the jet behaving strangely before it went down, per ABC 10News. Claire Heinz, who lives on a sailboat near the crash site said:

“It was super, super loud and then it just cut out like there was no noise after that, so I was like what’s going on?”

Rivolo questioned whether the aircraft was truly on a landing approach, as the Navy stated, or if another factor was at play. He emphasized that with both pilots surviving, investigators will soon uncover what led to the unexpected ejection and crash.

“We need to know what the flight conditions were at the time, and since the crew is alive, we will learn very quickly what the issue was,”

The Navy and federal aviation authorities continue to investigate the cause of the crash.