Four Navy Fliers Rescued After Two F-14 Jets Crash at Sea
Two F-14 jets crashed at sea Friday afternoon, the Navy said, and all four crew members were rescued.
The crash occurred about 12:50 p.m. 60 miles southwest of San Diego as the jets were conducting routine maneuvers, the Navy said. The two pilots and two crewmen were taken to Balboa Naval Hospital and all four were in good condition, suffering from mild hypothermia, Navy officials said.
The twin-engine F-14 Tomcat, built by Grumman Aerospace, carries a crew of two and operates off aircraft carriers. However, the two planes involved in the crash were flying out of Miramar Naval Station. The plane functions primarily as a fleet defense aircraft, and can be armed with missiles.
On Oct. 25, Lt. Kara Hultgreen, one of the first two women pilots to qualify for Navy carrier operations in the F-14, died when her jet went down in the ocean off San Diego as she was preparing to land on a carrier.
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