Pilot Ejects Before F-18 Crash Near Mountain Near Seattle

A Marine Corps legacy F-18 Hornet crashed near mountain near seattle on Saturday afternoon after the pilot ejected, sending the aircraft down near Rimrock Lake in Yakima County. The pilot was taken to a hospital, and the pilot's condition was unknown.

Rimrock Lake Crash Site

The aircraft had two seats, but only one was occupied on the flight. It was attached to the 3rd Marine Air Wing at Air Station Miramar in San Diego and was training on a low-level corridor when it went down.

The plane came down in an area near Rimrock Lake that is commonly used by Marine and Navy aircraft for training. The crash started a forest fire, and firefighting helicopters were on the scene.

Some reports said the pilot had minor injuries, while others said sheriff’s deputies picked up the pilot and took the pilot to a local hospital. Those accounts pointed to the same immediate result: the pilot survived the ejection and reached medical care on Saturday afternoon.

Air Station Miramar Flight

The crash involved a legacy F-18 Hornet tied to the 3rd Marine Air Wing, making the wreckage part of a training flight rather than a routine transit. That places the incident in a corridor used by Marine and Navy aircraft, where a crash quickly becomes both an aviation emergency and a ground fire response.

For people near Rimrock Lake, the most immediate consequence was the fire response on the ground and in the air. The next developments will center on the pilot's medical status and the aircraft investigation, with the scene already marked by helicopters working over the fire area.