Israeli military jet crashes into sea, crew rescued

JERUSALEM, July 7 (Xinhua) -- An Israeli F-16i military jet crashed into the Mediterranean Sea on Sunday afternoon, a military spokesperson confirmed to Xinhua.

The accident occurred in Israeli's territorial waters on Sunday afternoon during a routine training flight, the spokesperson told Xinhua.

According to a primary inquiry into the accident, it appears that the warplane's engine had shut down, forcing the pilot and the navigator to abandon the warplane just before it hit the waters.

The two men were rescued by a military helicopter less than an hour later, and were then sent to Sheba Medical Center hospital near Tel Aviv for treatment of minor injuries.

After the incident, Amir Eshel, air force commander, ordered all F-16i and F-15i planes to be grounded, the Ha'aretz daily news reported.

In March, an Israeli air force helicopter crashed during a training flight, killing a pilot and a navigator.

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