US F-18 jet
Washington DC, 2008 Jan 8, Al-Manar
Two US F-18 fighter jets crash in the Persian Gulf, but the three pilots on board ejected safely out of the aircraft, the US Navy says.
"The two aircraft were lost Monday. The three aviators were safely recovered aboard the USS Harry S Truman," said Vice Admiral Kevin Cosgriff, the commander of US Fifth Fleet.
Cosgriff said the F-18 Super Hornets collided in mid air during operations off the carrier in the northern Persian Gulf, according to AFP. The cause of the accident was under investigation, the Navy said in a written statement
A Pentagon official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said there was 'no connection whatsoever' between the crash and an incident Sunday in which the US officials alleged Iranian boats 'harassed' three US navy warships.
"One was a two-seater, one was a one-seater. Everyone is fine. There were no injuries to the personnel," said the official.
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