Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet crashes in Washington, pilot safe

A U.S. Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet fighter jet crashed in a remote area of Washington state on Saturday, June 13, 2026, after the pilot ejected safely. The crash ignited a wildfire and prompted evacuations and road closures in the popular Rimrock Lake recreation area.

The aircraft, assigned to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, California, experienced what officials described as a nonfatal aviation mishap during a routine training mission. The incident occurred around noon local time approximately 55 miles southeast of Seattle, near Rimrock Lake in Yakima County.

The pilot ejected from the aircraft and was located by a deputy from the Yakima County Sheriff’s Office. Authorities said the pilot sustained only minor injuries and was transported to a hospital for treatment. The sheriff’s office stated it had received multiple calls reporting the crash.

The impact sparked a wildfire, which fire officials have named the Pine Tree Fire. By late Saturday afternoon, the blaze had grown to approximately two acres, burning in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest just off Forest Road 1241. Firefighting efforts involved helicopters, at least one engine from the U.S. Forest...