Marine aircraft crashes in Atlantic; all four crew members ejec

CHERRY POINT AIR STATION, N.C. -- A Marine Corps EA-6B Prowler electronic warfare jet crashed into the Atlantic on Wednesday after all four crew members ejected safely.

The cause of the crash was under investigation.

The plane went down 26 miles off the coast, said Maj. James Bell, a spokesman for Cherry Point Air Station.

The crew members were all rescued by two helicopters from the base, he said. They were taken to Carteret Regional Medical Center for checkups but none had serious injuries.

No decision had been made on whether the aircraft will be recovered, Bell said. "One factor we will have to consider is the Prowler has sensitive electronic equipment on it."

Replacement cost for the Prowler, introduced to the Marine Corps in 1984, is $52 million.

Prowlers are assigned to fly with fighters and bombers to jam enemy radar. Bell said the squadron to which the jet was assigned had recently returned from duty in Turkey, where it patrolled no-fly zones over Iraq.

The air station has four Prowler squadrons consisting of about 20 planes, Bell said.

Prowlers have a range of more than 900 miles without refueling, and can reach a maximum speed of nearly the speed of sound.

Names of the crew members were withheld until their families could be notified.