Marine Corps fighter jet crashes near Japan
Search and rescue mission under way for missing pilot
U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Jake Frederick was killed Wednesday when his F/A-18 fighter jet crashed off the coast of Japan, a U.S. Marine Corps spokesman told Fox News on Thursday.
Search and rescue teams earlier Thursday had been scouring the waters of southern Japan for Frederick, 32, who ejected from his plane prior to the crash, the military said.
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The aircraft was on a regular training mission Wednesday when the incident occurred about 120 miles southeast of Iwakuni, the Marine Corps said.
Joint search efforts with Japanese military ships and aircraft were carried out through the night.
Japan's Defense Ministry said the F/A-18 had been flying with another Marine Corps jet.
The Marine Corps said the aircraft was assigned to the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing in Okinawa, Japan and said the cause of the incident was under investigation.
Fox News' Lucas Tomlinson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.