2 Aviators Killed in Navy Jet Crash

'In the air, I saw fire,' witness says
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 15, 2018 1:04 AM CDT
2 Aviators Killed in Navy Jet Crash
A US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter lands onto the deck of the USS Ronald Reagan.   (Kim Hong-Ji/Pool Photo via AP)

Two aviators were killed Wednesday afternoon when a Navy fighter jet crashed near the Naval Air Station Key West. The AP reports that the F/A-18 Super Hornet was on approach to land when it crashed into the water about a mile east of the runway. The pilot and the weapons system operator ejected but did not survive. Witnesses say there was an explosion before the crash. "I saw the fire and then it just dropped," local woman Barbie Wilson tells the Miami Herald. "In the air, I saw fire." "Please join me with your thoughts and prayers for both aviators, their families and our incredible @USNavy," tweeted President Trump. The Navy says the plane was on a training flight and the crash is being investigated. (More Super Hornet stories.)

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