Navy completes jet recovery in San Diego Bay after crash | cbs8.com

SAN DIEGO — Recovery efforts to salvage the EA-18G Growler jet that crashed into the San Diego Bay on Feb. 12 are complete, the Navy said in a press release on Tuesday.

After facing delays due to the rain, Navy divers began to recover the first pieces of the jet on Sunday, Feb. 16, lifting the pieces by crane onto a barge that had been moved into place the day before. The public was asked to stay away from the floating cranes, barges and other equipment used for the recovery efforts. They were also asked to not approach, touch, or collect any debris that may wash ashore.

The military jet crashed on a foggy Wednesday morning at 10:15 a.m., near the end of Shelter Island in the San Diego Bay. According to authorities, the crash happened after an aborted landing approach to Naval Air Station North Island when the aircraft faced an apparent mechanical emergency. Witnesses CBS 8 spoke with, described hearing unusual sounds from the plane suggesting engine trouble just before it nosed over and plunged into the harbor.

The pilot and a naval flight officer who were on board were able to eject themselves from the aircraft before impact and were taken out of the water by a fishing boat. They were then taken to UCSD Medical Center in Hillcrest by paramedics for evaluations. They were in listed good condition on Wednesday afternoon, according to officials.

"We understand the impact this accident has had on our community, and we appreciate the community’s patience while we worked to safely and efficiently salvage the aircraft," the Navy said in its press release. "The Navy takes pride in our deep history here in San Diego and could not have completed the recovery without the support of our local partners."

Investigation into the cause of the military jet crash remains ongoing and Commander, Naval Air Forces will lead the investigation, the release said.