2 dead after Navy jet crashes off Florida coast

KEY WEST, Fla. - Two people have died after a Navy jet went down off the coast of the Florida Keys during a mishap Wednesday, according to officials.

The F/A-18 Super Hornet was part of Strike Fighter Squadron 213, the “Blacklions,” based out of Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach, according to WTKR.

The crash happened at 4:30 p.m. in shallow waters after the aircraft caught fire and went down one mile off the runway from the naval station in Key West. The pilot and a weapons system officer managed to eject and deploy their parachutes, according to WPLG.

According to a Navy official, both crew members were rescued and taken to the Lower Keys Medical Center, where they later died.

An investigation is ongoing.