Overview
- A single-seat Hawker Hunter operated by Airborne Tactical Advantage Company went down about six miles northwest of Morro Bay after the pilot reported a loss of engine thrust on Tuesday and ejected before the aircraft hit the water.
- Audio recorded on LiveATC captured the pilot’s repeated ‘Mayday’ call saying he had lost thrust in the jet’s single Rolls‑Royce engine, and flight‑tracking services showed the aircraft disappearing from radar near 6:49–6:50 p.m.
- A U.S. Navy search‑and‑rescue helicopter from Naval Air Station Lemoore recovered the pilot and flew him to a Fresno hospital, where officials say he is recovering and was expected to be released soon.
- Coast Guard crews searched the scene but did not find wreckage or visible pollution, and authorities have urged mariners to report any debris or sheen because the jet likely carried hundreds of gallons of fuel.
- The Navy has temporarily grounded ATAC’s roughly 22 Hawker Hunters, the FAA and NTSB have opened investigations, and the crash renews safety questions after a similar ATAC Hunter loss off California in October 2025 and past findings that fuel‑pump and bearing failures can cause engine power loss.