A Marine Corps pilot is being treated for injuries at a North Carolina hospital after ejecting from an AV-8B Harrier jet before it crashed.
A Harrier jump jet crashed on Monday near Havelock, North Carolina, near Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, according to a Marine Corps news release. The pilot was transported to Carolina East Medical Center, about 20 miles northwest of the air station.
There were no reports of civilian casualties or property damage, according to the release. Members of the Havelock Sheriff Department were the first to arrive on the scene, followed by members of 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing.
"The crash site has been cordoned off by military officials," the Marine Corps news release states. "The cause of the mishap is currently under investigation."
Officials did not immediately respond to questions about what time the crash occurred, the squadron to which it's assigned, whether there are early indications as to what caused it to crash and why the plane was in the air.
Last week, an Air Force pilot ejected from an F-16 fighter jet before it crashed into a warehouse in Southern California, injuring 11 people in the building. None of the injuries were life threatening.
That aircraft was on a training mission at the time.
Last year, the Navy and Marine Corps temporarily grounded flights in Djibouti after an AV-8B Harrier jet assigned to the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit crashed during takeoff.
-- Gina Harkins can be reached at gina.harkins@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @ginaaharkins.
