The Coast Guard rescued a pilot in the Air National Guard at sea after he ejected from his jet in a mid-air collision early Friday morning, USA TODAY reports.
The crew of an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter located the pilot and brought him to Joint Base Andrews in Prince George's County, Maryland according to a Coast Guard press release.
Air National Guard Sgt. Craig Clapper said both pilots were taken to a medical facility on the base immediately following the incident. The pilot ejected to sea was then taken to an off-site facility to treat an additional injury.
The F-16 Falcon pilot, who was ejected 35 miles southeast of Chincoteague on Virginia's Eastern Shore, is in good condition. The second pilot involved in the jet collision was able to fly back to Joint Base Andrews with a clipped jet wing. Both of the jets were from the 113th Wing D.C. Air National Guard.
Officials say that the collision happened during a routine training mission and is still under investigation.
The pilot was reportedly in the water for less than one hour before he was rescued. The Coast Guard says it was notified of the pilot's ejection by a signal in his seat at approximately 10:28 p.m. Once the distress signal went off, the Navy's Fleet Area Control and Surveillance Facility called the Coast Guard and notified them.
The plane has yet to be recovered, although Clapper said that it could take a few days to locate.
Just last month, United Press International reported that the U.S. Air Force would be converting old versions of F-16s into target drones. The conversion project is set to be complete in 2021 and will be performed by 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tuscon, Arizona.
