U.S. Navy jet crashes off Virginia coast; pilot rescued

[January 16, 2014]  WASHINGTON (Reuters) — A U.S. Navy jet crashed in the Atlantic Ocean off the Virginia coast but its pilot ejected and was rescued on Wednesday, a week after a Navy helicopter crash killed two sailors.

The F/A-18E Super Hornet went down during routine training flight about 45 miles from Virginia Beach at 2:30 p.m. (1930 GMT) the Navy said in a statement. The pilot ejected and was recovered by a fishing boat.

The Navy is investigating the crash, which occurred the day rescuers recovered the remains of a crew member missing after a military helicopter crashed off the Virginia coast last week.

The MH-53E Sea Dragon helicopter was on a training flight with a five-member crew on January 8 when it went into the ocean near Fort Story, 150 miles south of Washington. Two sailors were killed.

(Writing by Doina Chiacu; editing by Rosalind Russell)

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