Second San Diego-Based F-14 Tomcat Lost at Sea

Another San Diego-based F-14 fighter has been lost in Asian waters during flight operations from the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln, the Navy announced Monday.

The latest incident occurred Sunday when the pilot encountered difficulty controlling the Tomcat, Chief Petty Officer Bobbie Carleton said. The pilot and the radar intercept officer both ejected from the stricken jet and were rescued by a helicopter from the carrier. The Navy did not identify the airmen or say whether they were injured.

According to Carleton, the aircraft lost Sunday and in the other crash on June 29 were attached to Fighter Squadron 213, nicknamed the Black Lions. The squadron is based at the Miramar Naval Air Station when not stationed aboard a carrier.

In the latest incident, the jet was about 150 miles off Sri Lanka and was returning to the Lincoln when the control problem occurred, Carleton said.

Carleton said Navy has launched an investigation into the incident. No decision has been made on whether to attempt to recover the aircraft. The Navy did not say whether the jet carried any weapons when it went down, the spokeswoman added.

Last month’s incident occurred when two F-14s collided during a training flight about 150 miles off Malaysia. The airmen on one jet were forced to eject, but the other aircraft was able to land safely in Singapore.

According to Carleton, the investigations into such incidents can take three months or longer.

The $34-million F-14 is the Navy’s principal fighter and has been in service almost 20 years. The plane weighs more than 20 tons, which is unusually big for a fighter, and is capable of flying at twice the speed of sound. Carleton said that, over the years, the Navy has lost about 100 F-14’s due to accidents and other reasons.