Navy F-14 Crashes Into Sea Off S.D.; 2 Airmen Rescued

An F-14 Tomcat fighter based at Miramar Naval Air Station plunged into the sea off Point Loma Wednesday evening, but both crewmen ejected safely and were rescued, the Navy reported.

It was the fourth crash of a Miramar-based F-14 since December, and at least the 102nd servicewide since the fighter was introduced in 1972. Just last week, a Miramar-based F-14 crashed off San Clemente Island. Both aviators on that craft also ejected and were rescued.

Cmdr. Doug Schamp, a Navy spokesman in San Diego, said it did not appear that there was any connection between Wednesday’s crash and last week’s, both of which are under investigation.

Despite the crashes, authorities say that the F-14--the top-of-the-line Navy fighter whose virtues were extolled in the film “Top Gun”--has an excellent safety record.

‘Mishap’ Figures

Navy figures released last week indicated that the rate of what the Navy calls “mishaps” for the F-14 has been 8.24 per 100,000 flight hours, compared to 8.3 for the Navy’s A-6 Intruder; 12.66 for the A-7 Crusader and 9.0 for the EA-6B Prowler electronic warfare jet.

Wednesday’s crash occurred about 6 p.m., Schamp said, after the aircraft developed problems while five minutes into a “routine” exercise from the aircraft carrier Carl Vinson, which was off the coast of San Diego. The pilot was attempting to fly the Tomcat to North Island Naval Air Station for an emergency landing, Schamp said, when the decision was made to eject.

The aircraft hit the water slightly more than 2 miles off Point Loma, said a Coast Guard spokesman.

The crew members were picked up by search-and-rescue helicopters based at North Island and taken to the base medical department, where both were reported in good condition, Schamp said. Their names were not immediately available.

There was no word on the cause of Wednesday’s crash.