Two F-18s crash off California; Coast Guard searches for survivors

<br>POINT SUR, Calif. (AP) _ Two Navy fighter jets crashed into the Pacific Ocean off the California coast Friday, military officials said. The Coast Guard was searching for four crew members. <br><br>The

Friday, October 18th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

POINT SUR, Calif. (AP) _ Two Navy fighter jets crashed into the Pacific Ocean off the California coast Friday, military officials said. The Coast Guard was searching for four crew members.

The F/A-18F Super Hornets went down 80 miles southwest of Monterey during a training flight, Navy spokesman Cmdr. William Fenick said at the Pentagon. The cause of the accident was under investigation.

Fenick said he did not know if the planes collided.

The jets crashed at 9:40 a.m. while training with six VFA-41 Super Hornets. The Navy said the two fighters were not carrying live weapons.

The fighters _ the newest and most advanced version of the F/A-18 _ were from Strike Fighter Squadron 41, based at Lemoore Naval Air Station near Fresno. A Navy spokeswoman said the pilots were members of the Black Aces, a new squadron at Lemoore.

A Coast Guard plane and a commercial fishing vessel were at the accident scene searching for the missing aviators. Coast Guard spokeswoman Veronica Bandrowsky said at noon there had been no sign of survivors.

The Air National Guard also dispatched a helicopter with two rescue swimmers aboard.

F/A-18F jets are used by the Navy and the Marine Corps. The aircraft carries two aviators and is designed for traditional strike operations and close air support.

The Navy spokeswoman said it was the first crash involving Super Hornets. Each Super Hornet costs $57 million, weighs 33 tons and has a combat flight range of 1,275 nautical miles, according to a Navy Web site.