Navy: Two F/A-18s crash in Atlantic Ocean, pilots being flown to hospital

By Brock Vergakis and Courtney Mabeus

VIRGINIA BEACH

Two F/A-18 fighter jets from Virginia Beach collided off the coast of North Carolina on Thursday, military officials said.

The Navy said the Super Hornets crashed about 10:40 a.m. off of Cape Hatteras.  A commercial fishing vessel recovered all four survivors, who are being taken to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital by a Coast Guard helicopter, according to the Coast Guard. The hospital is the area’s only Level I Trauma Center. The extent of injuries is unknown.

The jets were assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 211 and were on a routine training mission when the crash occurred, the Navy said in a statement.

The Navy is investigating the cause of the accident.