Navy F/A-18 fighter jet crashes during training near Nevada base

The Navy has said that a F/A-18C Hornet crashed on Saturday while conducting a training mission near a Nevada air base near Reno.

Navy spokesman Commander Ryan Perry said in a statement that they don't currently know yet the reason for the crash or how the pilot is doing, reports Reuters. The crash happened about 70 miles away from the Naval Air Station Fallon.

According to CNN, the base is popular for training exercises because of the area's wonderful weather, which boasts "more than 300 clear flying days per year." Fallon also has the longest navy runway, reaching 14,000 feet long.

The fighter jet that crashed was working with the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center. Investigators are currently on their way to the scene to see if they can figure out what went wrong.

Reuters notes the F/A-18 has been in use since the late 1980s and the jet is built by Boeing Co, while General Electric supplies the engines.

image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

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