A US Naval Aviator ejected Wednesday from his F-5N Tiger II fighter jet about 20 miles south of Naval Air Station Key West. The pilot was successfully recovered and is reported in good condition.
In a statement, the Navy said the pilot ejected about 20 nautical miles southeast of Naval Air Station Key West about 12:40 p.m. The pilot had been conducting training operations off the Florida coast.
A Coast Guard helicopter crew from Air Station Miami and a HC-144 Ocean Sentry plane crew were sent to search for the pilot. The helicopter crew spotted the pilot’s emergency smoke signal and hoisted him from the water about 1:15 p.m., according to the Coast Guard. – Stars & Stripes
VFC-111 is a Naval reserve adversary squadron based in Key West.
Featured image of a U.S. Navy Reserve Northrop F-5N Tiger II from Composite fighter Squadron VFC-111 “Sundowners” in flight by U.S. Navy (The Naval Reservist, issue May 2013, p. 13 [1]) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
