FALLON, Nev. — A fighter jet that crashed during a training exercise in western Nevada is a total loss and the pilot’s condition is unknown, a spokeswoman for the Naval Air Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, said Sunday.

It took rescue crews several hours to reach the site after the 3 p.m. Saturday crash because of a snowstorm and mountainous, remote terrain, Lt. Reagan Lauritzen said.

The F/A-18C, a U.S. Marine jet on loan to the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center, went down on a Navy range training complex about 70 miles east of Naval Air Station Fallon, she said. The Navy reported incorrectly on Saturday that the jet was a U.S. Navy Hornet.

The name of the pilot will be withheld for 24 hours, she said.

The cause of the crash was under investigation.

There were no reports of any other injuries or damage as a result of the crash and the jet was not carrying any weapons or munitions on the training flight, the Navy said.


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