The search continues for the Navy F/A-18 fighter jet pilot that remains missing after two planes crashed while operating in the western Pacific Ocean. One of the pilots was quickly recovered and given medical attention. However, the second pilot was not found, and rescue teams continue their searching.

The Hornets, which were not recovered, were operating from the aircraft carrier USS Cark Vinson when they crashed Friday afternoon. The cause for what brought the planes down is still under investigation, but initial reports from Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Joshua Karsten said the two aircrafts "apparently" collided with each other several miles from the ship.

Before the accident, the Carl Vinson was planning to participate in a military exercise in Guam from Sept. 15-23.

"At this time, Carl Vinson is focused on the search for the pilot," the USS Carl Vinson said in a statement. "While Valiant Shield is an important exercise, the search and recovery efforts take precedence."

The names of the pilots were not released. The exact area where the crashes occurred also remains unclear.

The area where the Carl Vinson carrier operates in a region of responsibility described as an area in the U.S. 7th Fleet called the "Indo-Asia-Pacific region."

A guided-missile destroyer Gridley, guided-missile cruiser Bunker Hill and helicopters are all searching the ocean for the missing pilot.

The two Hornets were assigned to Carrier Air Wing 17, based out of Lemoore, California's Naval Air Station. The Carl Vinson with Carrier Air Wing 17 aboard left San Diego on Aug. 2 for the far reaches of the ocean.

The F/A-18 has been a mainstay on U.S. Navy aircraft carriers since 1983. The "C" models are made by McDonnell Douglas, which is now a part of Boeing, were first used by the military in 1989.