An Airborne Tactical Advantage Company Hawker Hunter Mk.58 crashed into the Pacific Ocean off California on Tuesday after reporting engine thrust loss during a training flight off the Monterey and San Luis Obispo coast. The pilot survived and was rescued from the water after the aircraft, registration N345AX, disappeared from radar near Harmony Headlands State Park, with the wreckage still unfound at the time of reporting.
Radio traffic captured a mayday call in which the pilot reported losing thrust in the single-engine jet, which was flying as part of a red-air exercise with at least three other aircraft. A U.S. Navy MH-60 helicopter and Coast Guard assets responded to the scene, while authorities warned mariners to watch for debris or hazards in the area.
The aircraft had previously served in UK airshow work under the name Miss Demeanour, carrying the registration G-PSST before later use in the United States. The loss is the second ATAC Hawker Hunter crash off California in about a year, following a similar engine-failure accident in October 2025.