F/A-18 Crash in Washington State Caught on Bodycam Footage

The recent release of body camera footage from the Yakima County Sheriff's Office has provided a glimpse into the moments following a US Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet crash in Washington state. The crash, which occurred during a training exercise, resulted in the pilot ejecting safely and a small wildfire breaking out on a mountainside near Rimrock Lake.

Crash Details

The footage, which was released mid-August 2026, shows the pilot walking up to a sheriff's deputy along a roadway shortly after the crash, his face covered in blood as he speaks on the phone. When asked about the type of aircraft that had gone down, the pilot responded that it was an F-18. The pilot later described the moments leading up to the ejection, stating that he had been doing low-level training over the lake and had hit trees before ejecting.

The pilot's account of the crash is supported by the bodycam footage, which also shows the deputy accompanying the pilot into the woods to retrieve his gear. Despite the visible injuries to his face, the pilot appeared composed throughout the encounter, at one point telling the officer that he was very lucky to be alive.

Investigation and Aftermath

According to a statement from the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, the incident occurred at approximately noon on June 13, 2026, when an F/A-18 Hornet assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 11 experienced a non-fatal aviation mishap during a routine training exercise. The pilot ejected safely and was recovered by local authorities, while the aircraft crashed into a mountainside near Rimrock Lake and Bear Cove in Yakima County, sparking a wildfire that burned roughly two acres before being contained.

The Marine Corps has stated that the cause of the mishap remains under investigation, with such investigations typically taking several months to complete. Officials have not confirmed whether the crash directly caused the wildfire, although bodycam audio suggests that the crash may have been the cause of the fire.

Recent Military Aircraft Incidents

The F/A-18 crash is one of several US military aviation mishaps reported this year. The following incidents have occurred in 2026:

According to the Flight Safety Foundation's Aviation Safety Network database, at least seven other military aircraft mishaps have occurred in the US so far in 2026. The recent string of incidents has raised concerns about the safety of US military aviation operations.