Overview
- The Hawker Hunter Mk.58 operated by contractor Airborne Tactical Advantage Company crashed about six miles northwest of Morro Bay after the pilot radioed “mayday” saying he had lost engine thrust on Tuesday evening, Sept. 22, 2026.
- The single pilot ejected from the jet and was rescued by a U.S. Navy search-and-rescue helicopter, transported to a Fresno hospital, and is reported in good condition by ATAC.
- The Navy ordered a precautionary grounding of the roughly 22 Hawker Hunters ATAC operates and the FAA and NTSB have opened investigations into the accident.
- Coast Guard crews searched the impact area in darkness and found no visible wreckage or oil sheen, and authorities have asked mariners to report any debris or pollution sightings.
- The crash echoes previous ATAC Hunter power-loss incidents, including an October 2025 California crash and a 2022 Atlantic accident linked to a failed high-pressure fuel-pump bearing, raising questions about reliability of aging single-engine adversary jets and the cost and difficulty of offshore recovery.