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A fishing charter boat captain who rescued two parachuting Navy pilots after witnessing their unmanned fighter jet plummet into San Diego Bay described what he saw as something from a movie.
The U.S. Navy electronic-warfare aircraft, a Boeing EA-18G Growler, crashed into San Diego Bay near Naval Air Station North Island just after 10:15 a.m. Wednesday.
Capt. Brandon Viets of Premier Sportfishing had 12 people on board his boat for recreational fishing nearby on what he called a “normal day,” when everything suddenly went south.
An image from video footage of a U.S. military fighter jet crashing into San Diego Bay Wednesday. (Premier Sportfishing/Brandon Viets)
He added it took a while for the gravity of the day’s events to sink in.
“It took me a little while to take it in and just to think, ‘I’m glad that plane landed somewhere where it didn’t hurt anyone,'” Viets said. “I’m still thinking, ‘Luckily, it landed somewhere safe, not on land, and those two pilots seem to be OK.’”
A Navy EA-18G Growler crashed Wednesday into San Diego Bay. (KGTV)
The cause of the crash has not yet been released by Naval Base Coronado’s Emergency Operations Center, which is investigating.
However, H&M Landing, a fishing company, provided a statement to Fox News Digital claiming the aircraft experienced a “mechanical failure.”
A Navy official told Fox News Digital it is unclear if a distress signal was sent out prior to the crash, and the pilots have not been publicly identified.
As of Thursday, the Navy is continuing efforts to safely remove the aircraft from the bay as quickly as possible, while minimizing environmental impact, according to a statement. Weather conditions may delay the timeline.Â
A Boeing EA-18G Growler jet fighter with the VAQ-141, in Kanagawa, Japan. (Damon Coulter/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
In a statement Thursday, the Naval Air Forces said it is leading efforts to assess and coordinate the jet’s retrieval, and Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group One is the tactical commander for salvage operations.
“Some pieces of debris may resemble weapons or classified components and may present a hazard if handled,” it said in the statement.
The public is strongly advised not to approach, touch or collect any debris that may wash ashore. They are also asked to remain clear of the area and not interfere with the recovery.
The wreck came after a recent string of fatal plane crashes across the country.
An Army Black Hawk helicopter collided midair with a commercial passenger plane near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport Jan. 29, killing 67 people.
In the following days, plane crashes in Pennsylvania and Alaska claimed the lives of 17 people.
Most recently, a private jet owned by Mötley Crüe lead singer Vince Neil was involved in a fatal crash Monday at Scottsdale Airport in Arizona.
