Pilot, 47, SURVIVES after his plane crashed in the sea during a military exercise off the coast of Hawaii
- The pilot, whose name has not been released, safely ejected from the plane before it crashed on Wednesday afternoon
- He was rescued three miles south of Oahu near Sand Island by a private sailboat
- The US Coast Guard identified him as a civilian contractor for the Hawaii Air National Guard who was participating in a military exercise called Sentry Aloha
A pilot whose plane crashed off the coast of Hawaii during a military exercise has been hospitalized in serious condition.
The 47-year-old, who has not yet been named, appears to have suffered traumatic injuries after ejecting safely from the plane, according to a statement from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.
He was initially rescued three miles south of Oahu near Sand Island by a private sailboat and then transferred to the US Coast Guard.
A 47-year-old military pilot whose plane crashed off the coast of Honolulu during an exercise with the Hawaii National Guard on Wednesday has been hospitalized with serious injuries. A US Coast Guard vessel and other rescue boats are pictured responding to the crash
The pilot crashed into the ocean around 2.25pm local time on Wednesday after taking off from the Honolulu airport. It is unclear what caused the crash.
The US Coast Guard said the civilian contractor for the Hawaii Air National Guard was participating in a military exercise called Sentry Aloha.
The exercise was temporarily suspended after the crash and will resume Thursday morning.
Flights departing from the Honolulu airport were held on the ground for about 20 minutes after the plane went down as a precaution, according to a state Department of Transportation spokesman.