Newly released bodycam footage shows a bloodied Marine pilot calmly telling a 911 dispatcher “Hey, buddy, I just crashed” moments after ejecting from a fighter jet in Washington state.
The video, released by the Yakima County Sheriff’s Office, captures the pilot, assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing in Miramar, California, approaching deputies on the side of a road near the crash site on June 13. His face is streaked with blood from suspected parachute lacerations as he holds a phone to his ear, already connected to emergency services.
“That’s an F-18,” the pilot tells the deputies in the footage. “Well, that was an F-18.”
“We were doing circles over the lake, doing some low-level training…and then I tucked in, and I’m not sure exactly,” the Marine explained to officers at the scene.
“Honestly, I’m a little frazzled,” he added.
The F/A-18D Hornet had slammed into a mountainside near Rimrock Lake, approximately 55 miles southeast of Seattle, during military training exercises. The crash sent a massive plume of black smoke into the summer sky and sparked a wildfire that required response from local fire crews and the U.S. Forest Service.
A witness at the scene remarked on the pilot’s condition, telling him, “You hit the tree bad, bud.”
The bloodied pilot is later seen in the footage alerting others to the fiery wreck with remarkable composure. “Hey, buddy, I just crashed,” he said into the phone, according to the released video.
He explained to deputies that he went through some trees on the way down after ejecting from the aircraft. The injuries visible on his face were suspected to be parachute lacerations sustained during his descent, though he remained remarkably steady as he discussed the circumstances with officers.
At the time of the crash, the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing issued a news release stating that the pilot was conducting routine training when the jet experienced what it termed a “non-fatal aviation mishap.” The aircraft was assigned to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in California.
The Naches Fire Department reported that the crash triggered a wildfire, leading to structure protection efforts near the Bear Creek cabins. “Our units have completed structure protection near the Bear Creek cabins and have just cleared the scene,” the department said in a statement, adding that a water tender would remain in the area and return the following day for mop-up operations.
In the viral moment that has since circulated widely, the pilot’s casual demeanor despite his injuries and the destroyed aircraft struck viewers as extraordinary. The F/A-18D Hornet, registration 165412 and coded WS-415, was operated by VMFA-323 “Death Rattlers” and was completely destroyed in the impact. The aircraft had been flying the VR-1355 low level route before the crash occurred around midday local time.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation. Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing has indicated that the inquiry could take several months to establish the full circumstances surrounding the accident. The name of the pilot has not been released by Marine Corps officials.
The Marine Corps said the fighter aircraft was undertaking a routine training flight when the crash occurred. The pilot ejected safely before impact and was subsequently located by local authorities. No other injuries were reported in connection with the incident.