AlQa'dah 18, 1435, Sep 13, 2014, SPA -- Rescuers searched an area of the far western Pacific Ocean Saturday for a Navy fighter pilot whose jet was one of two that crashed west of Wake Island. AP reported that one pilot has ejected safely after Friday's crash but the other was missing and the subject of a search off the U.S. territory, as the Navy said. The F/A-18C Hornets were from Carrier Air Wing 17 based at Naval Air Station Lemoore in California's San Joaquin Valley. The air wing is embarked on the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson. The crash occurred at 5:40 p.m. local time about 290 miles (467 kilometers) west of Wake Island, Navy Cmdr. Jeannie Groeneveld said from San Diego. The island is 2,300 miles (3,700 kilometers) west of Honolulu. Groeneveld said she couldn't release details of the crash, but an investigation already had started. The rescued pilot was in fair condition in the medical department of the Carl Vinson, she said. All other aircraft that were airborne at the time safely returned to the ship. The search for the missing pilot involved the guided-missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill, the guided-missile destroyer USS Gridley, the USS Sperett, the USS Dewey and two helicopter squadrons. There was no sign of the pilot or the jets in the water as of Saturday afternoon, said Joshua Karsten, a public affairs officer for the U.S. 7th Fleet. Groeneveld said a few hours later that the pilot hadn't been located and the search was still underway. -- SPA 18:41 LOCAL TIME 15:41 GMT تغريد
