KEY WEST NAVAL STATION, Fla. — A Navy pilot is in the hospital after they were ejected from a fighter jet taking off Wednesday morning from Key West, officials say.
The pilot was assigned to the Fighter Squadron Composite 111, also known as the Sun Downers, based at the Naval Air Station Key West, authorities say.
At around 9:20 a.m., the pilot was ejected from an F-5N aircraft located about 25 miles from Boca Chica Field, NAS Key West said in a Facebook post.
An MH-60S helicopter was launched by NAS Key West search and rescue crews to help rescue the pilot. They were taken to a hospital in the Miami area for further evaluation after being found in the water, a spokesperson for NAS Key West told the Miami Herald.
"The safety and well-being of our pilot remains our top priority," the agency wrote in the post. "The cause of the incident will be investigated."
Authorities say they will release more details about the incident when they become available.
NAS Key West says the pilot was assigned to a Navy Reserve unit which, according to the Herald, flies “adversary” planes against other fighter pilots to mock combat dog fights.
Officials have not yet announced where the jet landed or where the pilot was found.
