Bird strike caused Marine jet to crash onto former governor’s land

A bird strike caused a 2022 mishap in which a Marine fighter jet crashed onto the family property of the former South Carolina governor, the Marine Corps has determined.

An F/A-18D that had flown out of Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina, for a routine flying mission crashed onto land owned by the family of former Gov. Mark Sanford on Halfmoon Island, South Carolina, on March 3, 2022.

The 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing’s Marine Aircraft Group 31 determined through an investigation that the “primary cause of the mishap was a bird strike and subsequent engine fire and failure,” according to a Wednesday statement by Marine spokeswoman Maj. Melanie Salinas.

“The bird strike and subsequent fire resulted in a serious situation for the aircrew, and we’re grateful both pilots survived with relatively minor injuries,” Salinas said.

Marine Corps F/A-18 crashes on former governor’s family property

The outcome of the investigation was first reported by The Island Packet, a local newspaper in Beaufort County, South Carolina.

The crash caused a fire on the Sanford property that spread across 40 acres and burned several 100-year-old oak trees, the Island Packet reported.

Between 1995–2019, the Air Force sustained more than 100,000 bird strikes, leading to 27 deaths, 13 losses of aircraft and $817,546,884 in financial costs, Air Force Times reported in 2019.

A Navy investigation recently obtained by Navy Times determined the August 2022 crash of a T-45C Goshawk trainer jet was caused by a “large bird” being swallowed into the engine.