This is the horrifying moment a camera captured a fighter jet exploding after it crashed into the sea in an incident which saw both pilots being rushed to hospital.
The US military aircraft plummeted into San Diego Bay on Wednesday morning, with the sky being filled with plumes of black smoke after the accident.
Both pilots remain in a “stable condition” following the episode. The Mirror reports the two-seat E/A-18G Growler jet can be seen plummeting from the sky and slamming into the freezing cold water.
The jet crashed into the water at around 10.17am, and a huge plume of smoke and water was blasted into the air. One witness told CBS: “The plane hit the water, and there was an explosion.
“A lot of black plumes, and then it just like got sucked into the water. Within 15 seconds, there was nothing.” The two occupants of the jet ejected to safety.
They were picked up by the Premier Sportfishing vessel and then transferred to a nearby Customs and Border Protection craft, Coast Guard spokesperson Petty Officer Christopher Sappey said.
The crash occurred during what is known as a “go-around maneuver,” in which the aircraft landed and was taking off again, according to Navy spokesperson Cmdr. Beth Teach.
The cause of the crash is under investigation. On a live webcam of San Diego harbour traffic, someone aboard the Premier can be heard telling the Coast Guard that the crew members ejected right after takeoff.
“We’re on our way to help assist,” the man called in about 10:17 a.m. “They’re in the water.” Shortly afterward someone from the boat reported: “We have both pilots on board and safe.”
Brandon Viets, captain of the Premier, said he had taken a dozen passengers out by Point Loma on a fishing trip when he heard a jet taking off from the naval base that “seemed a little louder than normal.”
He turned and saw two people falling with parachutes. Viets immediately headed toward them in his boat. The jet remained in the air for several minutes before diving into the water, he said.
Viets said: “All I could see was a plume of water and mud and muck, 70 to 80 feet tall.” H&M Landing boss Frank Ursitti said: “Captain Viets and the crew of the Premier acted swiftly, and thanks to their professionalism, were able to bring these pilots to safety.”
The two men were taken to a hospital and were in stable condition, authorities said. The Coast Guard deployed two vessels to safeguard the Growler wreckage in the San Diego Harbour, Sappey said.
The Growler is a two-seater jet that specializes in electronic warfare. A similar Navy aircraft crashed last October during a routine training flight in Washington state, killing its two crew members. The wreckage was found in remote mountainous terrain.