A U.S. Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet fighter jet crashed on Saturday, June 13, 2026, in a wooded area near Rimrock Lake, in Yakima County, Washington. The pilot, the sole occupant of the aircraft, managed to eject before impact and was rescued alive.
According to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, the aircraft was assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 11 and was conducting routine training when it suffered what the military classified as an aviation “mishap” at around noon, about 55 miles southeast of Seattle. The cause of the accident is still under investigation, and the Marines said further information is expected to be released only as the inquiry progresses.
The crash sparked a wildfire in the Rimrock Lake area, mobilizing crews from the Naches Fire Department and the U.S. Forest Service. According to local authorities, ground crews and aerial resources were deployed to fight the flames and protect nearby structures, including cabins in the Bear Creek area.
The accident also led to road closures in the NF-1200 system, south of the lake, while law enforcement officers evacuated campers from the area. Authorities advised residents and visitors to avoid the region during emergency and mop-up operations.
Preliminary follow-up information on the accident indicates that the aircraft may have been a McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D Hornet, registration 165412, linked to the Marines’ VMFA-323 “Death Rattlers” unit. The jet was reportedly destroyed on impact.
The F/A-18 Hornet is a multirole fighter jet used for decades by the United States armed forces in attack, air defense and training missions. Although newer versions have already replaced part of the fleet, Hornet models are still operated by Marine units.
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Here you can see the USMC F-18 right before it impacted terrain and crashed near Rimrock Lake. It looks like it was smoking prior to the pilot ejecting. pic.twitter.com/KFEuzn9EDD
— Thenewarea51 (@thenewarea51) June 14, 2026
Source and images: Official U.S. Marine Corps Website | Flight Safety Foundation. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
