SAN DIEGO — An F-35C jet crashed while attempting to land on the aircraft carrier Carl Vinson Monday, injuring seven sailors, the Navy said in a statement.
Three of the injured sailors were flown to a hospital in Manila, Philippines, and are in stable condition. Four injured sailors received treatment onboard the ship.
The pilot safely ejected and was rescued by a military helicopter.
A Pacific Fleet spokesperson declined to say whether the aircraft has been recovered. Other details around the circumstances of the crash were also not released. The crash is under investigation, the Navy said.
The crash occurred during routine flight operations in the South China Sea, where both San Diego-based carriers Carl Vinson and Abraham Lincoln are conducting dual-carrier operations, according to a Sunday news release.
The Carl Vinson left San Diego in August. Its deployment marked the first-ever for the carrier-based variant of the F-35 Lightning II fighter, the newest and most technologically advanced in the U.S. military.
The "Argonauts" of Strike Fighter Squadron 147, which is the F-35 squadron deployed on the Vinson, are based in Lemoore, California.
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