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Navy Confirms Pilot Died in Jet Crash in Death Valley

Associated Press

   LOS ANGELES - The pilot of a U.S. Navy jet fighter that crashed in
   Death Valley National Park was killed, the military said Thursday.

   The identity of the pilot will be withheld until 24 hours after
   notification of next-of-kin in accordance with Defense Department
   policy, the Navy said in a statement.

   The F/A-18E Super Hornet was assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron
   VFA-151 based at Naval Air Station Lemoore in California's Central
   Valley. The unit goes by the nickname Vigilantes.

   The jet went down Wednesday during low-level flying in what was
   described as routine training.

   The crash injured seven people who were at a scenic overlook where
   aviation enthusiasts routinely watch military aircraft speeding low
   through a chasm dubbed Star Wars Canyon.

   The crash sent dark smoke billowing in the air, said Aaron Cassell, who
   was working at his family's Panamint Springs Resort about 10 miles (16
   kilometers) away and was the first to report the crash to park
   dispatch.

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