Two Lemoore NAS based F/A-18 Hornets crash in the Pacific Ocean

LEMOORE, Calif. (KFSN) -- The U.S. Navy said the two planes from Carrier Air Wing 17 crashed while operating at sea in the western Pacific Ocean approximately 250 nautical miles west of Wake Island. The initial report is that the two aircraft are assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 94 (VFA-94) and Strike Fighter Squadron 113 (VFA-113).

The crash occurred at 11:45 p.m. (PST time) on Thursday during routine training, the U.S. Navy said. There were no immediate details on how the crash occurred.

The Navy said one pilot was located quickly and returned to the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier. That pilot is receiving medical attention.

Several aircraft are still searching for the second pilot. The search for the missing pilot involved the guided-missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill, the guided-missile destroyer USS Gridley and two helicopter squadrons.

All other aircraft that were airborne at the time were safely recovered.

The cause of the crash is still under investigation.

F/A-18C Hornet (U.S. Navy File Photo)

Carl Vinson and embarked Carrier Air Wing 17 are currently underway in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility supporting security and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. The Carl Vinson and the four other ships of its strike group departed San Diego on Aug. 22 for what was announced as a 9 1/2-month deployment.

An F/A-18E Super Hornet crashed in June as it prepared to land on the Carl Vinson off the Southern California coast. The pilot was able to eject safely.

That crash happened just hours after a Harrier AV-8B fighter jet crashed into a Southern California neighborhood, destroying two homes and badly damaging a third. No one was seriously hurt.

About a month earlier, a Marine Corps Harrier jet had crashed on tribal land south of Phoenix, but the pilot was able to safely eject. And on March 1, Marine Capt. Reid Nannen was killed in a fighter jet crash during a training exercise in Nevada.

Stay with Action News and ABC30.com for more on this story.

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The Associated press contributed to this story