U.S. jet pilot rescued in Outback
SYDNEY, Australia (CNN) -- A U.S. Marine Corps pilot has been rescued after ejecting from his F/A-18 Hornet fighter jet just before it crashed in the Australian Outback.
The crash occurred during a training exercise about 4.30 p.m. (0630 GMT) Tuesday about 10 miles (16 kilometers) from the Royal Australian Air Force's Tindal base, southwest of the town of Katharine in the Northern Territory.
A Defense Department spokesman told CNN the pilot was picked up by a search and rescue helicopter and taken to the base hospital.
He said the pilot was in a stable condition, and an accident investigation team was being formed.
Tindal is the main base in northern Australia for F/A-18 jets. U.S. defense forces occasionally conduct training exercises there with their Australian counterparts.
