Shocking footage captured the moment a US Navy fighter jet crash landed into the San Diego Bay after two pilots ejected.
The EA-18G Growler, one of the most powerful aircraft in the US military arsenal, splashed down near Shelter Island on Wednesday.
Aviation experts said it appears the pilots heroically steered the failing aircraft away from land and into a small strip of water in the bay, with businesses including the Kona Kai San Diego Resort within sight of the crash site.
The cause is not yet clear, however early reports suggested it was flying in rough weather off the West Coast when it fell from the skies.
The pilots were heroically saved by a chartered fishing crew who witnessed the plane smash into the bay moments after the pilots ejected and parachuted down.
‘One of our co-workers was up on deck and started calling us up,’ said witness Conner Palmer to NBC San Diego.
‘It seemed like you were watching a Star Wars movie, it crashed down straight into the water, massive explosion of water and sand, and you just honestly had no idea what you just watched.’
Witness Carol Gonzales said she knew ‘something was happening’ when she saw two orange parachutes dip into the waters, and ‘the next thing you know (the aircraft) was coming straight down into the water.’
Emergency crews including 60 personnel, two boats, five fire engines and a helicopter team were rushed to the scene around 10:15am local time, San Diego Fire and Rescue said.
Several crews with the Navy were also seen working the crash site to prevent fuel from spilling into the waters from the downed aircraft as they work to retrieve it.
Shocking footage captured the moment a US Navy aircraft crash landed into the San Diego Bay moments after two pilots emergency ejected over the waters on Wednesday
Witnesses said the plane crash landed with a ‘massive explosion of water and sand’
Images showed the moments after the pilots ejected
Military officials said two pilots were on board and successfully ejected before the plane crashed, and were saved by the chartered fishing boat as it was the first on the scene.
Brandon Diets, the captain of the fishing boat, said his first thoughts were to race over to find the pilots.
‘I saw one hit the water, and then the other one, and just thought ‘We gotta go,’ and we headed straight for them’ he said.
‘We didn’t know if they were hurt… we just knew there were people in the water and we had to get them out.’
Both pilots were raced to UC San Diego Medical Center in stable condition after being rescued from the waters.
Palmer added that once the pilots were saved from the water, he saw them hugging each other and ‘checking the other was okay in a heartwarming moment.
Aviation experts said it appears the pilots heroically steered the failing aircraft away from land, with retired Marine Corps pilot Ron Alvarado saying the crash could have been far worse.
‘Looking at the crash spot where the aircraft went down, it was over the bay, close to Point Loma. And that could have indicated that the aircraft could have been in a turn, and it continued to fly because the aircraft does have a flight control system,’ Alvarado said.
‘It could have flown until it lost lift or the inputs that the pilot last put into the controls had it going into the left turn, whereupon it actually crashed into the bay.’
He added that it is possible the pilots entered inputs to steer the jet away from land before they decided to eject.
Witness Conner Palmer said the crash was like ‘something out of a Star Wars movie’, and said that once the pilots were saved from the water, he saw them hugging each other and ‘checking the other was okay in a heartwarming moment
Images showed emergency services racing to the scene on the San Diego Bay near Shelter Island
The plane crashed into the bay in close proximity to the Kona Kai San Diego Resort and a number of businesses along the shoreline
The owner of the fishing boat that picked up the pilots said staff on the boat sprang into action when they saw the aviators eject from the military aircraft.
‘As all of our crews are trained in lifesaving efforts, immediately came about, turned around picked up both pilots that were in the water,’ general manager Frank Ursitti told NBC San Diego.
‘And as they were boarding the pilots on the water, [the captain] observed the plane actually ditch into San Diego Bay.’
Ursitti said the plane crashed into the bay within minutes of the pilots ejecting at the last moment.
He said both pilots were conscious when they were pulled from the water. They were reportedly in stable condition, however officials have not yet disclosed the extent of their injuries.
The most recent incident involving an EA-18G Growler aircraft came in October 2024, when one of the Navy fighter jets crashed near Mount Rainier in Washington State, leading to the deaths of both pilots on board.
The EA-18G Growler (seen in an unrelated image from 2018) is one of the most powerful aircraft in the US military arsenal
It comes after a wave of aviation accidents rocked the US in recent weeks, including one of the worst air disasters in recent memory 15 days ago when an American Airlines passenger jet collided with a military helicopter over Reagan National Airport, killing 67 people.
Days later, a small air ambulance crash landed in Pennsylvania, killing six people aboard the jet and a seventh on the ground.
These disasters were followed by a small jet dropping off radars in Alaska last week, leading to the deaths of all 10 people on board.
And three days ago, a private jet owned by Motley Crue singer Vince Neil crashed when its landing gear failed while touching down at an airfield in Scottsdale, Arizona, killing the pilot and injuring three others.