Marine pilot walks away from crashed F/A-18 Hornet, bodycam footage shows

Published Aug 18, 07:52 PM UTC

Newly released bodycam footage from the Yakima County Sheriff's Office shows a bloodied U.S. Marine Corps pilot who safely ejected from an F/A-18 Hornet during a routine training exercise on June 13, 2026, in Washington state. The aircraft crashed into a mountainside near Rimrock Lake, sparking a wildfire. The pilot, assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, emerged from woods with facial lacerations and told an officer he was 'very, very lucky to be alive.' The officer retrieved the pilot's gear, including a helmet inscribed 'COME TO FIGHT COME TO WIN,' and the pilot's bloody oxygen mask and parachute. Paramedics treated minor injuries before transporting him to a hospital. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.