Search Fails to Find Marine Corps Pilot After Ocean Crash

Rescue teams searched unsuccessfully Wednesday for the pilot of a Marine Corps F/A-18A Hornet that crashed in the ocean Tuesday night while on a routine training exercise near San Clemente Island, military officials said.

Navy and Coast Guard search-and-rescue teams on Wednesday combed more than 480 square miles of ocean between San Clemente and Santa Catalina islands for the single-seat jet aircraft and its pilot, Marine Lt. Mark J. Gelgean, 27, of Hanford, Calif. Marine authorities said Gelgean and his wife, whom they declined to name, have been living in Laguna Niguel.

Despite the widespread search, only a few floating fragments from the downed fighter bomber and an empty life raft were found, military officials said. It was unclear whether the life raft belonged to the McDonnell Douglas-made jet.

“All we found was wreckage of the aircraft,” Marine Lt. Gene Browne said.

Gelgean, who was assigned to the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station, was part of a training exercise in which pilots were learning to fly the sleek F/A-18A Hornet, identical to those used by the Navy Blue Angels precision flying team, Browne said.

Gelgean and other members of the Marine All Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 121, part of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, were practicing tricky aircraft carrier landing techniques at night.

The pilots were landing and taking off from a San Clemente Island airstrip that was modified to simulate an aircraft carrier deck, Browne said.

During the training exercise, the ground control crew on San Clemente Island suddenly lost voice and radar contact with Gelgean at 9:35 p.m., Browne said, and the Coast Guard was immediately notified.

Throughout the day, rescue ships and aircraft searched unsuccessfully for Gelgean in the choppy waters near the islands.

The life raft, which was damaged, was found Wednesday morning bobbing in the center of the channel that separates the two islands, Coast Guard Chief Warrant Officer Dan Dewell said.

After the Coast Guard helicopter reached the raft, a rescuer jumped into the ocean and searched the area for signs of life. No one was found, Dewell said.