The pilot survived, and details of the accident.

The military confirmed that the pilot survived after successfully ejecting moments before the crash. He was later found and transported to a hospital for treatment of minor injuries. A statement from the Marine Corps indicated that the aircraft belonged to the 3rd Marine Air Wing, based at Miramar Air Station in San Diego, California.

The military described the incident as a “non-fatal aviation accident.” It occurred approximately 55 miles southeast of Seattle.

Firefighters are mobilized to extinguish the fires

The Yakima County Sheriff’s Office reported that the crash site is near Lake Rimrock. The incident sparked a wildfire in the Okanogan-Wenachi National Forest.

Due to the fire’s rapid spread, authorities took immediate action to evacuate hikers and campers from the surrounding area for their safety.

Authorities deployed ground firefighting crews, supported by specialized forest firefighting helicopters, in an effort to control the flames and prevent their spread to wider areas.

A thorough investigation is underway to determine the precise cause of the fighter jet’s loss of control and subsequent crash into the mountain. This is being done while an ongoing assessment of the environmental damage caused to the national forest by the fire is also being conducted.

The F/A-18 Hornet is a mainstay of the U.S. Marine Corps and Navy. Despite its long operational history, training accidents do occur. The military takes these incidents very seriously, launching thorough technical investigations to uncover any potential defects or human error. Such errors can occur during challenging maneuvers and training flights conducted by the fighters in diverse terrains.

Credits: Newswires

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The federal government directly provides air traffic control, unlike in places such as Canada and the U.K. And in the process the government provides pretty significant subsidies to U.S. airlines but often provides poor service.

It would actually be much better if the TSA wasn’t its own regulator, and if the FAA didn’t regulate its own air traffic control service. That’s the recipe that gives us poor accountability. If you don’t like privatization, at a minimum split up regulation and service provision into different agencies. That doesn’t get you all the way there, but it would be better than what we’ve got.

Airports, though, should be privatized. Municipalities own assets that in some cases are worth several billion dollars on net. But the money is locked up tight and can’t go to provide services, reduce debt, and shore up finances (including retirement obligation time bombs).

• Since airports get federal grants, the federal governments require that all airport money stay in the airport. It can’t help support the local communities that own the airports.
• But airports can be privatized, with the sale (or long-term lease, versus short-term concession) revenue going to the municipality. And the private company that takes it over is allowed to earn a specified rate of return.

A 2021 study found that over $130 billion was locked up in just 31 airports. Taxpayers have these huge assets they don’t benefit from owning, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

• Chicago O’Hare is worth $7 – 10 billion
• Phoenix Airport is worth $3 – $4.5 billion
• LAX is worth $12 – 18 billion
• Dallas – Fort Worth is worth $8 – 12 billion

Read More: American Airline

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