From the details I've read it was hovering at a very low altitude above the water. From normal cruising height down to right above the waves at visual range in a short period of time is probably a bit aggressive. As I've heard one former fighter pilot describe, the military has no interest in losing trained pilots and jets. If you really follow all the rules they have to keep you away from risky areas when it isn't necessary, there's a very low chance you'll ever encounter an enemy Mig, etc. So with that said, following procedure when encountering a UFO, a steep dive to very low altitude in close proximity to an unidentified phenomenon is probably not something many crewmen would immediately jump at.
