Navy pilot safely ejects before fighter jet crash in Northern Nevada

An F/A-18C Hornet similar to this one crashed Saturday about 70 miles east of the Naval Air Station in Fallon. The Navy reported late Sunday the pilot was killed in the crash of the U.S. Marine jet, on loan to the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center. (AP Photo/U.S. Navy, Petty Officer 2nd Class James R. Evans)

An F/A-18C Hornet similar to this one crashed Saturday about 70 miles east of the Naval Air Station in Fallon. The Navy reported late Sunday the pilot was killed in the crash of the U.S. Marine jet, on loan to the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center. (AP Photo/U.S. Navy, Petty Officer 2nd Class James R. Evans)

FALLON — A Navy pilot has safely ejected from a fighter jet that crashed in the Northern Nevada desert during a training mission near the Fallon Naval Air Station.

Air station spokesman Joseph Vincent confirmed the F/A-18C Hornet crashed around 10:45 a.m. Tuesday about 10 miles southeast of the naval base in Fallon, about 60 miles east of Reno.

Vincent said the pilot was returning to the base from a routine training mission when he was forced to eject from the aircraft.

Ground crews picked him up.

Vincent had no details on the pilot’s condition. He said the pilot was taken to a clinic on the base, then transferred to Banner Churchill Regional Medical Center in Fallon.

The plane is attached to the Naval Aviation Warfighting Development Center based at Fallon NAS.

The accident remains under investigation.