A U.S. Navy pilot was rescued after ejecting from a plane near Key West Wednesday morning, officials said.
A U.S. Navy pilot was rescued after ejecting from a plane near Key West, Florida, Wednesday morning, officials said.
The pilot was doing routine training about 25 miles off Key West in a Northrop F-5 Tiger II aircraft when they ejected and went into the water around 9:20 a.m., officials said.
Search and rescue crews responded and were able to rescue the pilot, who was flown to Jackson Memorial Hospital's Ryder Trauma Center.
Aerial footage showed a Navy helicopter that airlifted the pilot on the rooftop landing pad at the hospital.
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NBC Miami has learned the pilot was awake and stable. The pilot's identity wasn't released.
The pilot is a member of Fighter Squadron Composite 111, a Navy Reserve squadron which is based at Naval Air Station Key West.
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"The safety and well-being of our pilot remains our top priority. The cause of the incident will be investigated," the Naval Air Station said in a Facebook post.
Retired U.S. Air Force fighter pilot and former NBC Miami Investigator Willard Shepard has flown these F-5 fighter jets before. For the call to eject to be made, Shepard said it must have been a dangerous situation.
"There is no other way to control the airplane and you are going to lose your life, so if you reach the point where you have to eject, it's literally the last thing you can do to get out of the aircraft," Shepard said.
