Tuesday evening saw a pilot survive a forced landing in the ocean off California’s Central Coast after engine trouble struck his plane. According to the U.S. Coast Guard, it received a notification around 6:50 p.m. that an aircraft had crashed some 6 miles northwest of Morro Bay, carrying one person on board.
The Crash Report
The notification reached the Coast Guard around 6:50 p.m. on Tuesday evening. It placed the downed aircraft roughly 6 miles northwest of Morro Bay. The report said the aircraft carried a single person on board.
The Aircraft Identification
Officials with the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have determined that the aircraft is an MK-58 Hawker Hunter, which serves as a military trainer. A representative at Naval Base Ventura County in Oxnard, California confirmed the plane departed from the base Tuesday evening.
ATAC is a private company, not the Navy, and it is the one that operates the aircraft.
The Engine Trouble
A pilot reported engine trouble and ejected himself before the aircraft came down in the ocean. Radar tracking indicates the plane was heading toward San Luis Obispo County when the pilot informed controllers that the engine had lost thrust.
Naval Air Station Lemoore’s team pulled the pilot from the water, and he is now recovering at Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno with “no significant injuries.”. ATAC confirmed both details.
The Rescue
After the rescue, the Coast Guard station in Morro Bay went to the scene but failed to locate the downed aircraft or any remnants.
The Aircraft
A tried-and-true military trainer, the MK-58 Hawker Hunter, carries a serious drawback: its single engine. Should that engine cease operating, there’s no getting around putting it down somewhere.
ABC News Aviation Analyst John Nance made that point directly. “This aircraft has been tried and true, but it has one limitation, and that is a single engine,” Nance said. “If that engine stops running, you’ve got to put it down somewhere.”
Safety Warnings
The call goes out for all those upon the sea to proceed with care through the affected waters. Should any observer come across debris or pollution within the water, they are directed to inform the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach at once.
The Investigation
The two agencies tasked with examining the crash are the FAA and the NTSB. A final report from the NTSB is expected to be released within a window of three to six months.
The Timeline
| Event | Time |
|---|---|
| Aircraft notification received by Coast Guard | Around 6:50 p.m. |
| Notification of crash near Morro Bay | Around 6:50 p.m. |
| Pilot reports engine issues and ejects | Before crash |
| Plane crashes into ocean | Tuesday evening |
| Rescue team arrives from Naval Air Station Lemoore | After crash |
| Pilot taken to Community Regional Medical Center, Fresno | After rescue |
| Final NTSB report expected | Three to six months |
An aircraft went down roughly 6 miles northwest of Morro Bay at about 6:50 p.m., according to a notice to the Coast Guard. It carried a single passenger. The FAA and NTSB have since determined that the aircraft was an MK-58 Hawker Hunter.
The pilot reported engine problems and ejected himself prior to the aircraft crashing into the sea. Radar tracking indicates the plane was heading toward San Luis Obispo County when the pilot informed controllers that thrust had failed in the engine.
The pilot was pulled from the water by a team from Naval Air Station Lemoore and is now resting at Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno, where his condition has been described as “no significant injuries.”. The Coast Guard station in Morro Bay arrived at the site after the rescue attempt, yet found no sign of the downed aircraft or any debris.
Within three to six months, the NTSB will publish its final report. Those on the water should proceed with care at all times. Any person spotting debris or pollution in the water should notify the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach immediately.
Source material: “Pilot rescued after MK-58 Hawker Hunter crashes in Pacific Ocean off coast of Morro Bay, California,” ABC13 Houston.
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