F-18 crashes 20 miles west of Nevada Test Site

Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2001 | 12:40 p.m.

Military officials are investigating the crash today of a U.S. Navy F-18 about 20 miles west of the Nevada Test Site on the Nellis Air Force Range.

The pilot ejected safely and an HH-60 Pavehawk helicopter from the Nellis 66th Rescue Squadron picked up the pilot shortly after the 10:10 a.m. accident.

The F-18 was flying as part of a non-specified mission, Master Sgt. Charles Ramey said. The Navy unit is at Nellis Air Force Base as part of the month-long Red Flag military training exercises.

Amargosa Valley ranchers Ralph and Debbie McCracken said they saw a plume of black smoke after the F-18 crashed into the Funeral Mountains.

Debbie McCracken said that the jet fighter's crash is too close to a proposed high-level nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, 12 miles away from their ranch.

"It's too close, too close, it gives me goosebumps," McCracken said from her home.

The Department of Energy is expected to recommend Yucca Mountain, 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas, as the national high-level nuclear waste repository for commercial and defense radioactive wastes.