US Navy fighter jet crashes in national park

LOS ANGELES - A US Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet jet on Wednesday morning crashed in Death Valley National Park, leaving seven visitors with minor injuries.

The crash occurred at about 10 am local time (0300 GMT) near an area known as "Star Wars Canyon", 380 km north of Los Angeles, which is not far from the Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake and offers a rare opportunity for tourists to photograph jets flying beneath them, the Los Angeles Times reported

US Navy's search-and-rescue teams planned to continue their search for the pilot throughout the night, Navy Lt. Cmdr. Lydia Bock told the Los Angeles Times.

The report said it's unclear whether those who reported injuries were in the area to observe the jets.

The area has been used by the US Air Force and Navy for military training practices since the early 1930s, and it is also frequently used by photographers, who shoot pictures from the canyon rim. The National Park Service made the canyon an attraction with informational signs, a parking lot and a rest room.