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Navy jet crashes near Forks


Nov 17 2001

The Navy is investigating the crash of a jet from Whidbey Island Naval Air Station. It went down Thursday afternoon on the Olympic Peninsula near Forks. All three crew members survived, but reports indicate one suffered a broken leg.

The Whidbey base at Oak Harbor lost contact with the EA-6B Prowler from Electronic Attack Squadron 129 at about 1:30 p.m. Thursday. According to the Navy, it was flying a routine training mission when it crashed.

The aircraft was piloted by a Navy pilot and a second Navy officer was at the electronic controls. The third crewmember was a Marine who was training on the electronic equipment.

The crew ejected and were recovered by a Navy helicopter and a Coast Guard helicopter within two hours. One helicopter picked up two crew members and the other picked up the third.

Two crew members were relatively unharmed and were returned to Whidbey Island Naval Air Station. The third crew member, a 25-year-old Marine, was taken to a Port Angeles hospital with a broken leg, Navy officials confirmed.

The crew member with the broken leg was hospitalized and remained in stable condition on Friday, said Lt. Kyra Hawn of Naval Air Forces Pacific Fleet, San Diego, Calif.

Citing “operational security,” a Navy spokesman said names of the crew won’t be released.

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