US Navy F-18 Crashes In Arabian Sea, Pilot Rescued

A U.S. Marine fighter pilot ejected from his aircraft over the north Arabian Sea on Tuesday and was rescued after parachuting into the water, the Navy said. The pilot was flying a single-seat F/A-18C Super Hornet based aboard the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis when he ejected from his fighter Tuesday afternoon. The plane crashed into the sea, the Navy said in an announcement. It did not explain the circumstances of the incident. The plane was not shot down, Lt. Cmdr. Charlie Brown said from the 5th Fleet headquarters in Bahrain. The carrier has been operating off the southern coast of Iran and Pakistan. USS John C. StennisThe pilot, who was not named, was picked up by a search and rescue helicopter about 15 minutes after he ejected, the Navy said. The pilot was undergoing a medical check, but seemed in good condition, the Navy said. The pilot is a member of Stennis-based Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 323, currently flying ground-attack missions over Afghanistan.