Two US Navy F/A-18C Hornets crash in Western Pacific.

WESTERN PACIFIC OCEAN (NNS) -- Two F/A-18 Hornets from Carrier Air Wing 17 embarked on the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) crashed at 5:40 p.m. local time, today, while operating at sea in the western Pacific Ocean. The initial report is that the two aircraft are assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 94 (VFA-94) and Strike Fighter Squadron 113 (VFA-113).

One pilot was rapidly located and returned to Carl Vinson, and is currently receiving medical attention. Search efforts continue for the second pilot.

Source

Not much on this as of yet but the area it happened in makes it sound like it could be something other than a run-of-the-mill training exercise accident, especially with the reports of intentional close shaves between US and Chinese aircraft in recent months. Not being able to find the airframes also makes it sound fairly serious, hopefully the other pilot is found and neither are too badly injured.

a reply to: Araqiel

Definitely thoughts go out to the missing pilot, hope they find him soon. With two involved it's possible it could have been a mid air collision while training like the Tornado's in Italy.

a reply to: Araqiel

It happens. What were the weather conditions?

How much flight time did both pilots have?

Did they collide?

Injuries to one and another missing pilot might indicate that at this time, not "war with the Chinese".

a reply to: Sammamishman

That seems most likely, yeah. It would have been right around sunset local time so visibility in certain directions may not have been great, but it does sound as if they were on some kind of operational duty so the exact circumstances I'm not so sure about. Could have been CAP for the carrier group, maybe?

a reply to: Araqiel

Just heard about this myself.

Most likely a training accident. I know in my time in the Marines we lost a few Leathernecks from training incidents. My hearts go out to their families, friends and units.

originally posted by: intrptr
a reply to: Araqiel

It happens. What were the weather conditions?

How much flight time did both pilots have?

Did they collide?

Injuries to one and another missing pilot might indicate that at this time, not "war with the Chinese".

Just to be clear, I don't think it's at all likely that this was any kind of aggressive action. The times compare to make seem like the area it happened in was on UTC+8 time, which is used by China (amongst plenty of others, but it helps narrow down the exact area a bit). I'm just wondering if they had some kind of company, not suggesting anything more than that.

Sorry if this is supposed to be obvious, but did they crash with each other?
(I mean, they COULD have both crashed, separately.)

a reply to: new_here

That would be the most likely explanation but it hasn't been officially stated either way.

A Navy spokeswoman at the Pentagon said officials were still piecing together the sequence of events leading to the crash, but believe the two aircraft collided. The two Hornets have not been recovered, according to the press release.

Source

Managed to find that extra bit of info but not much else.

a reply to: new_here

That's the most likely answer. Either in ACM training or in close formation flying.

originally posted by: Araqiel
a reply to: new_here

That would be the most likely explanation but it hasn't been officially stated either way.

But that isn't stopping you from suggesting it was "foul play", is it?

a reply to: Araqiel

Sort of curious to me that whether they crashed into each other or not, isn't obvious from Radar.

my hopes and prayers go out to both pilots and their families.
you'd think they would acknowledge a likely crash between the two, but indepth investigations must occur to prove so.

how many different ways can two hornets go down?

Sort of curious to me that whether they crashed into each other or not, isn't obvious from Radar.

i agree, pretty strange

originally posted by: intrptr

originally posted by: Araqiel
a reply to: new_here

That would be the most likely explanation but it hasn't been officially stated either way.

But that isn't stopping you from suggesting it was "foul play", is it?

He did? I can't find where he suggested that.

a reply to: intrptr

I don't recall him suggesting anything, merely speculating, which is what all of us here are doing until an official cause is released.

originally posted by: new_here
Sort of curious to me that whether they crashed into each other or not, isn't obvious from Radar.

Maybe I missed something. What led you to believe that?

originally posted by: new_here

originally posted by: intrptr

originally posted by: Araqiel
a reply to: new_here

That would be the most likely explanation but it hasn't been officially stated either way.

But that isn't stopping you from suggesting it was "foul play", is it?

He did? I can't find where he suggested that.

Twice. In the OP…

makes it sound like it could be something other than a run-of-the-mill training exercise accident, especially with the reports of intentional close shaves between US and Chinese aircraft in recent months.

And "downplayed somewhat" here…

Just to be clear, I don't think it's at all likely that this was any kind of aggressive action. The times compare to make seem like the area it happened in was on UTC+8 time, which is used by China (amongst plenty of others, but it helps narrow down the exact area a bit). I'm just wondering if they had some kind of company, not suggesting anything more than that.

I just wanted it to be clear there is nothing to claim the Chinese were any where near the incident at all.

This is how rumors start sometimes.

If you scroll down in the comment section of the source.
The first OP source...

Go to Jmil comment.( in the last 35 mins )
The commenter said even if they knew what the cause was..
They still have to collect all the facts while they are still fresh..
To not cause speculation...

So.
Even if it did appear on radar as if they collided..
They can not release that yet..

What we are blessed with is.
One pilot recovered...
Hopefully he/she is in healthy mind to state what happened.

:-)

Eta: what fox is reporting other than 2 missing crew and 2 planes.
Is that both aircraft also had an assortment of weapons..
Not mentioned by the 2 sources listed here in thread.

a reply to: Sammamishman

I don't recall him suggesting anything, merely speculating, which is what all of us here are doing until an official cause is released.

Right and I could say (maybe) it was UFOS . I agree, lets wait for more info, preferably from a different source than official channels.

Right now, its just two jets "crashed".

Just so you know, I don't believe what my government tells me anyway.

a reply to: intrptr

Something other than run-of-the-mill =/= something extraordinary. There is plenty in-between. If we're talking a scale where 1 is the most common training accident and 10 is an act of war, I'm saying maybe it was a 1.3 rather than a 1.1, if that's clear enough while not downplaying it too much for you.

originally posted by: _Del_

originally posted by: new_here
Sort of curious to me that whether they crashed into each other or not, isn't obvious from Radar.

Maybe I missed something. What led you to believe that?

Just the fact that it is still under investigation and they indicate it isn't clear what happened. That, and they haven't explicitly stated: radar shows a mid-air crash occurred.