Details remain very limited, but an EA-18G Growler electronic attack jet crashed on Wednesday morning off Point Loma, which marks the entrance to San Diego Bay. The sprawling Naval Air Station North Island sits across from Point Loma, with MCAS Miramar located inland roughly 15 miles to the north. A major exercise, the latest iteration of Bamboo Eagle, which you can read all about here, is ongoing off the Southern California coast. It’s not clear if the crash is connected to this large-scale training event.
San Diego Web Cam on X, which has cameras up around the bay, was first to report of the crash. Local ABC affiliate Channel 10 News reports two crew were rescued shortly after the crash. Their crews saw the aircraft crash into the bay.
We have reached out to the Navy on multiple fronts and will report back when we have more information.
UPDATE:
From the Navy:
-From a Navy official: An EA-18 G crashed and the crew has been safely recovered by the Coast Guard
-Cause will come out in an investigation.
-The aircraft is still in the water off the coast of San Diego
It’s also worth noting that the crew has been sent to a hospital.
San Diego Web Cam posted the section of video along with radio calls pertaining to the crash and the response to it. As you can see, there was fog in the area at the time. According to radio communications, the Growler was taking off when the mishap occurred. Listen and watch below:
UPDATE:
New CCTV footage shows the Growler coming down at a very steep angle. We cannot verify this video at this time.
UPDATE:
We now have images of the crew after being recovered from the water and the Growler, without said crew, prior to crashing. We see it without its canopy and its gear down relatively low over the water. It’s unclear if it pitched up and came down near vertically as seen in the video above, or if the video is fake. Major pitch deviations do happen in some instances after ejection.
We also now know the Growler belonged to VAQ-135, the Black Ravens, based out of NAS Whidbey Island.
UPDATE:
We now have dramatic close-up CCTV footage showing the impact, which matches with the configuration of the aircraft seen in the image above and the CCTV video on the steep descent.
UPDATE:
Official statement from the Navy below. Looks like this was a landing that went wrong:
NAVAL AIR STATION NORTH ISLAND, San Diego – At approximately 10:15 PDT, a U.S. Navy EA-18G Growler assigned to Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 135 crashed while landing.
Two aircrew ejected into San Diego Bay and were quickly recovered before being transported to a local hospital for medical assessment. Both personnel are in stable condition.
Naval Base Coronado has stood up an Emergency Operations Center in response to the mishap, and assessment of the crash site is ongoing.
The cause of the crash is under investigation.
More information will be released as it becomes available.
The EA-18G Growler is a variant in the F/A-18 family of aircraft that combines the proven F/A-18F Super Hornet platform with a sophisticated electronic warfare suite. VAQ-135 is based at NAS Whidbey Island, Washington.
Update 4:29 PM Eastern Feb. 13 –
The Navy issued an updated statement about the crash.
“The U.S. Navy continues efforts to recover the EA-18G Growler that crashed in San Diego Bay on February 12. Recovery efforts are focused on safely removing the aircraft from the water as quickly as possible while minimizing environmental impact.
While initial assessments targeted recovery for today, weather conditions may impact the timeline. The operation is expected to take place as soon as conditions allow, pending final assessments and safety preparations.
Commander, Naval Air Forces is leading efforts to assess and coordinate the aircraft’s retrieval, and Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group One (EODGRU1) is the tactical commander for salvage operations. Additional support units, including Navy Region Southwest, Naval Base Coronado, Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Southwest, Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) Supervisor of Salvage, and Electronic Attack Wing Pacific are working alongside them to secure the crash site and ensure a safe and efficient recovery operation.
Some pieces of debris may resemble weapons or classified components, and may present a hazard if handled. The public is strongly advised not to approach, touch, or collect any debris that may wash ashore. People who may discover debris are asked to report via email to Naval Base Coronado: nbc_debris@us.navy.mil.
The public is asked to remain clear of the area and not interfere with the recovery.
Naval Base Coronado’s Emergency Operations Center remains active, and the investigation into the cause of the crash is ongoing. More updates will be provided as available.”
Contact the author: Tyler@twz.com