Navy pilot hurt after ejecting from Super Hornet over ocean

A fighter pilot from Oceana Naval Air Station was in critical condition Wednesday after ejecting from his jet over the Atlantic Ocean.

The single-seat F/A-18 Super Hornet from Strike Fighter Squadron 143 went down about 2:35 p.m., said Cmdr. Mike Kafka, a spokesman for Naval Air Forces Atlantic. The cause of the crash is under investigation.

The pilot ejected about 45 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach and was plucked from the water by a nearby fishing vessel before being hoisted by a rescue swimmer into an MH-60 Seahawk. The Navy helicopter had been flying in the area on a training mission.

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