Marine Corps F/A-18D Hornet Goes Down on a Low-Level Route Near Rimrock Lake, Washington

A Marine Corps F/A-18D Hornet crashed on June 13, 2026, at approximately 1200 Pacific Daylight Time roughly 55 miles southeast of Seattle, near Rimrock Lake, Washington. The pilot ejected and survived, with the ejection reportedly captured on video. The jet was operating on a low-level military training route (VR-1355) at the time, according to reporting from The Aviationist.

What We Know About the Rimrock Lake F/A-18D Crash

The aircraft was assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, with reporting linking the jet to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 323 (VMFA-323), known as the “Death Rattlers.”

The single most important fact: the pilot ejected and got clear of the aircraft. The crew member’s escape system functioned as designed, and the aviator is alive.

As of this writing, the cause of the crash is unknown. There is no confirmed information on whether the loss was mechanical, a bird strike, or something tied to the demands of low-level flight. The Marine Corps will convene a formal investigation, and that process takes time. Any cause attributed in the coming days should be treated as speculation.

What Is an F/A-18D Hornet?

The F/A-18D is a two-seat variant of the Legacy Hornet — not the larger Super Hornet seen on carrier decks today. The Legacy Hornet family (the A through D models) first flew in the late 1970s and entered fleet service in the early 1980s.

These are mature, well-understood airframes flown by experienced crews. The Marine Corps has operated them hard for decades, and the fleet is now in the twilight of its service life as the F-35 takes over across the force. That matters: these are high-time fast jets, extended and refurbished well past their original design intentions while a long procurement cycle plays out. Every mishap becomes a data point for keeping the rest of the fleet safe.

What Is a VR (Military Training Route) and Why It Matters for Pilots

The Hornet was flying VR-1355, a low-level military training route (MTR). This is the part general aviation pilots most need to understand.

VR stands for Visual Route. MTRs are a network of corridors crisscrossing the United States where military aircraft train at high speed and low altitude — often at or below 10,000 feet, frequently down in the terrain, and routinely above 250 knots. Training that way is the entire point: crews need to fly the way they’d fight.

There are two types you’ll see charted:

• IR routes — flown under instrument flight rules
• VR routes — flown under visual flight rules

The route number itself carries information. A four-digit identifier (like 1355) means the route is flown at least in part at or below 1,500 feet AGL. A three-digit identifier means segments go above 1,500 feet AGL. That numbering convention is worth committing to memory.

The practical reality: while you’re enjoying a low cross-country over the Cascades, a fighter may be authorized through that same airspace at 400 knots, 100 feet off the deck, with a closure rate that leaves neither of you much time to react.

How Do I Avoid Military Training Routes on a Cross-Country?

These routes are charted on your sectional and low-altitude charts as distinctive lines marked with the route identifier. Working them into your planning is straightforward:

1. Check the route structure before you fly. If your route of flight crosses or parallels a VR or IR route, flag it.
2. Call Flight Service. The military schedules activity on these routes, and Flight Service can tell you whether a given route is active or “hot” during your window. It’s a 30-second call that can surface a fast-mover situation before it becomes a near miss.
3. Stay visible and look outside. Keep your landing light on when operating in the altitudes where these routes live, and prioritize see-and-avoid. The visual scan burden in that environment is brutal for everyone.

Why This Crash Matters for General Aviation Pilots

The military trains in the same sky you fly in. These training routes are real, active, and often exactly where a low-level cross-country wants to take you. Respect them, plan around them, and make the call to Flight Service.

There’s also a quieter point worth noting: the ejection system did its job. Decades of engineering refinement in escape systems — a Martin-Baker-type seat — put a pilot on the ground alive on the worst day of that aviator’s career.

Radio Hangar will share the official Marine Corps statement and any investigation findings as they are released.

Key Takeaways

• A Marine Corps F/A-18D Hornet (VMFA-323) crashed near Rimrock Lake, WA on June 13, 2026; the pilot ejected and survived.
• The jet was flying VR-1355, a low-level military training route where aircraft operate fast and low.
• VR = Visual Route; IR = Instrument Route. A four-digit route number means flight at or below 1,500 feet AGL in part.
• Before flying near an MTR, check your charts and call Flight Service to learn if the route is active.
• The cause is unknown and under investigation — treat early cause claims as speculation.