U.S. Navy Fighter Crashes off Okinawa: Japanese Officials

November 12, 2018

Naha--An F/A-18 fighter jet of the U.S. Navy crashed into waters southwest of Kitadaitojima, a southwestern Japan island in Okinawa Prefecture, around 11:45 a.m. Monday (2:45 a.m. GMT), Japanese officials said.

The two crew members ejected and were safely rescued by a U.S. helicopter around 12:10 p.m., according to the Defense Ministry's Okinawa Defense Bureau. There was no confirmed damage to civilian ships.

The Navy jet, which belonged to the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, is believed to have suffered an engine problem before the crash. Jiji Press