Rescuers search for fighter jet pilot after crash in Nevada

(Reuters) - The U.S. Navy and local authorities were searching on Sunday for the pilot of an F/A-18C fighter jet that crashed during a training mission near a Nevada air base, the Navy said. Initial reports show the aircraft, which crashed mid-afternoon on Saturday, was a total loss, the Navy said in a statement. The crash occurred on the Fallon Range Training Complex, about 70 miles east of Naval Air Station Fallon in Nevada in a rugged and remote mountainous area. Navy personnel took several hours to reach the crash site, and a snowstorm overnight also hindered efforts. The plane was a U.S. Marine Corps F/A-18C on loan to the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center for training. The cause of the crash will be investigated, the Navy said. (Reporting by Ellen Wulfhorst; Editing by Meredith Mazzilli)