U.S. Navy fighter jet crashes near Shelter Island while attempting to land

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — A military plane crashed into the San Diego Bay near Shelter Island while attempting to land, according to the U.S. Navy.

According to a statement by the Navy around 12:15 p.m., the type of plane that crashed was an EA-18G Growler, a variant in the F/A-18 family of military aircraft that combines the F/A-18 “Super Hornet” with an electronic warfare suite.

The Growler was assigned to Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 135, based out of Naval Air Station Whidbey Island in Washington state.

The incident happened around 10:15 a.m. near 1561 Shelter Island Dr., close to the Kona Kai San Diego Resort and other neighboring businesses, according to authorities.

RELATED: EA-18G Growler: What to know about the plane that crashed in San Diego Bay

Military personnel have confirmed only two pilots were on the plane at the time. Authorities say both pilots on the plane have been rescued and were transported to UC San Diego Medical Center in Hillcrest. Both are reported to be in stable condition, according to authorities.

A U.S. Coast Guard spokesperson told FOX 5/KUSI both pilots were able to safely eject and were rescued by a fishing vessel after being in the water for just one minute.

The pilots were transferred to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations small boat that happened to be on scene when the crash happened, the spokesperson added.

Watch a report by FOX 5/KUSI’s Ciara Encinas about the two pilots below.

After the incident, the Coast Guard worked on re-enforcing the safety zone around the crash site to keep other vessels away from the area.

Naval Base Coronado has set up an emergency operations center and assessment of the crash site is ongoing.

Oil was observed seeping into the water of the San Diego Bay as crews attempted to recover the remains of the plane.

“This morning, they sounded like they were a little low, as soon as the first one came by, got my attention, looked out of my car,” a resident who witnessed the moment of the crash told a FOX 5/KUSI crew at the scene. “The next one that came by was about 15 seconds later, and he was a little bit lower…right when I was trying to get out of my car to see how low, is when I heard him fire up the engines and the afterburners, and seconds after that, you could hear a pop….then I saw the debris falling right in front of my car here.”

The cause of the crash is still under investigation.

FOX 5/KUSI’s Zara Barker and Ciara Encinas contributed to this report.

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