Another military fighter jet crashed in the US, nearly burning down a national park (2 photos + 2 videos)
The US military is once again suffering unplanned losses in civilian skies. On Saturday, June 13, 2026, a Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet carrier-based fighter-bomber crashed in Washington state. 
A supersonic aircraft worth tens of millions of dollars was reduced to a pile of rubble in the middle of a national park, causing problems for local squirrels and firefighters.
The aircraft was assigned to Miramar Air Force Base in California and was on a scheduled training flight. Around midday, something went wrong near Lake Rimrock. The pilot ejected at the very last moment at an extremely low altitude.
The pilot was incredibly lucky: a local sheriff's deputy found him alive and relatively unharmed in a mountain pass. He suffered minor injuries and bruises and was hospitalized in stable condition. The Hornet itself crashed in a wooded area approximately 200 kilometers from Seattle.
Upon impact with the mountain, the fighter jet predictably exploded. Fuel and debris ignited a wildfire, quickly dubbed the Pine Tree Fire. The flames quickly engulfed approximately two acres of land.
Due to dense smoke, rescuers were forced to quickly cancel the local tourists' vacation.
People were evacuated from campgrounds near Rimrock Lake and nearby Bear Creek cabins. U.S. Forest Service helicopters and fire crews were called in to help contain the fire. Water trucks are currently on duty at the crash site to douse the smoldering remains of the fighter jet.
The most remarkable thing about this story is the location. The crash occurred in the Cascade Mountains, near Mount Rainier. This scenic route is affectionately known by American military pilots as the "Million Dollar Ride." It's traditionally used for practicing dangerous high-speed maneuvers at extremely low altitudes, weaving between cliffs.
Such incidents are becoming a frightening tradition for this region. Just 25 kilometers from the current site, in October 2024, an identical EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft (a Hornet variant) crashed. The crew was less fortunate, and both pilots died.
Officials from the US 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing have already announced that they have launched an investigation. However, the military immediately warned that finding the technical reasons why the modern fighter decided to become part of the landscape will take several months.
