Marine Pilot’s Jaw-Dropping Reaction After Massive Fighter Jet Crash Leaves Americans Stunned

Liberty Check

• Marine Corps Major Jackson Simon ejected from his F-18 Hornet moments before it crashed into a Washington mountainside, showcasing the courage and training America’s warriors display under fire
• Despite facial lacerations and blood covering his face, Simon remained remarkably composed — a testament to the elite caliber of our U.S. military personnel
• The multi-million dollar aircraft was destroyed in the June 13, 2026 crash during routine training, with the cause still under investigation

Newly released bodycam footage reveals the extraordinary composure of a Marine Corps pilot who walked away from a catastrophic F-18 crash in Washington state. Despite being bloodied and “frazzled,” Major Jackson Simon demonstrated the kind of calm professionalism that exemplifies American military excellence.

The June 13, 2026 incident unfolded when Simon’s F-18 Hornet slammed into a mountainside near Rimrock Lake, sending flames and thick black smoke billowing above the trees. Moments before impact, Simon ejected from the doomed aircraft and descended through the forest canopy.

“I’m a little frazzled,” Simon admitted to a Yakima County Sheriff’s deputy in footage that has since captivated the nation.

Yet the bodycam video tells a different story — showing Simon casually walking toward first responders with a phone in hand, blood covering parts of his face but remarkably composed after his harrowing descent through the trees.

When asked what type of aircraft had crashed, Simon began to answer before catching himself in real-time.

“That’s an F-18. Well, that was–,” he said, the weight of the loss momentarily registering.

Simon explained he had been conducting low-level training exercises over the lake when something went catastrophically wrong.

“We were doing some circles over the lake. I tucked in, and I’m not sure exactly. Honestly, I’m a little frazzled,” he told the officer.

A bystander who witnessed the crash told Simon directly:

“You hit the trees bad, bud.”

Simon’s response was matter-of-fact:

“I went through the trees.”

When the same bystander noticed Simon was “shaking,” the pilot acknowledged the obvious.

“I have some adrenaline going,” he said.

Perhaps most striking was Simon’s calm demeanor as he made phone calls in the immediate aftermath. In one conversation captured on bodycam, he simply stated:

“Hey, buddy, this is Major Simon, I just crashed.”

After completing calls to his superiors, Simon turned to the responding officer with a sobering observation.

“Without exaggeration: That’s about as close as you come,” he said.

The deputy’s incident report noted finding Simon on a hillside “taking off his flight harness” and systematically stacking his gear. Simon then slid down an embankment to meet the deputy, who performed a standard “buddy check” for injuries.

Multiple witnesses had watched the military aircraft circling near Rimrock Lake shortly before disaster struck. Several called 911 after seeing the pilot eject and the fighter jet plunge into the mountainside, igniting a fire in the wooded area below.

The first emergency call came at 12:18 p.m. local time. Within a minute, dispatch was logging “JET CRASH” and “PILOT PARACHUTED OUT.” One entry documented a witness “crying saying she saw the crash.”

The F-18 was assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, and was conducting routine training approximately 55 miles southeast of Seattle when the “non-fatal aviation mishap” occurred. Simon ejected safely and was recovered by local law enforcement.

A military spokesperson valued the destroyed aircraft at close to $67 million. The cause of the crash remains under investigation — a process the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing says can take several months to complete.

Later footage showed Simon’s parachute tangled in trees on the mountainside, with the deputy helping him gather his gear and cut the parachute free from the ropes.

The 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, headquartered at MCAS Miramar in San Diego, California, is withholding additional details pending the outcome of the investigation.

Americans deserve better.