A Hawker Hunter Mk-58 operated by Airborne Tactical Advantage Company (ATAC) crashed into the Pacific Ocean off California’s Big Sur coast late Wednesday morning. The vintage British-built jet went down about five miles southwest of Big Sur around 11 a.m. after taking off from Oxnard, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. The pilot ejected from the aircraft and was recovered from the water by a Navy MH-60 Seahawk search and rescue helicopter from Naval Air Station Lemoore.
The Coast Guard told KSBW 8 that the pilot was transported to Stanford Medical Center in Palo Alto with a reported spinal injury. A coworker later confirmed to the station that the pilot was uninjured and had been released from the hospital.
According to radio communications and flight-tracking data shared on X, another Hunter, using the callsign “ATAC11,” circled the site and worked with nearby civilian aircraft to relay information to air traffic control before the rescue helicopter arrived.
An ATAC Hawker Hunter, "ATAC12", went down off the coast of Big Sur this afternoon.
— Aeroscout (@aeroscouting) October 15, 2025
The screenshot shows "ATAC11" N326AX in a low orbit over the site of the downed "ATAC12" (not visible)
"RESCUE04", a NAS Lemoore SAR MH-60 responded and transported pilot to Stanford.
Listen 👇 pic.twitter.com/dn85xDavJQ
Although details of this particular flight have not yet been made public, ATAC operates a fleet of Hawker Hunters that typically serve as adversary aircraft in U.S. military training. The Mk-58 variant, powered by a Rolls-Royce Avon MK 207 turbine engine producing 10,150 pounds of thrust, was developed in the 1950s. The company describes the type as a “versatile opponent” used in both air-to-air and air-to-surface roles.
The cause of Wednesday’s crash remains under investigation.
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