CHINCOTEAGUE, Va. – The Coast Guard says it rescued an Air National Guard pilot from the water after his jet was involved in a mid-air collision and he ejected from his aircraft approximately 35 miles southeast of Chincoteague on Virginia's Eastern Shore.
The Coast Guard says the pilot of the F-16C Falcon jet who was rescued at sea early Friday is in good condition. The crew of an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter hoisted the pilot and transferred him to Joint Base Andrews, Md., according to a Coast Guard news release.
The other pilot involved in the mid-air collision shortly before midnight was able to fly back to Joint Base Andrews and was treated for minor injuries. Both jets were from the 113th Wing D.C. Air National Guard.
The Coast Guard says it was alerted to the pilot's ditching by a distress signal at approximately 10:28 p.m. Thursday from his ejection seat and says the pilot was in the water for less than one hour before his rescue.
The pilots were on a routine training mission, the 113th Wing D.C. Air National Guard said in a statement. The cause of the accident is under investigation.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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