Two US Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornets collided off the coast of San Diego last week. One of the pilots ejected and was recovered; the other was able to land at Naval Station North Island.

This marks the latest in a steady stream of Marine Corps Hornet incidents that have claimed more than a half-dozen aircraft and several lives over the past year. Some media reports have implicated cost-cutting budget issues reducing training hours and aircraft reliability.

(A report on last year’s Marine Corps crash of a CH-53 Super Stallion in Hawaii actually linked President Obama’s Christmas vacation to the crash — as the Secret Service no-fly-area had inhibited the unit’s ability to fly and check out their aircraft. The crash happened 10 days after the Obamas left and the flight restriction was removed.)

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