Navy F/A-18E crashes in Inyo County [star wars canyon]
Also: https://news.usni.org/2019/07/31/califo ... ot-unknown
Navy F/A-18E fighter jet crashes in Inyo County; search-and-rescue team responds to Death Valley National Park area
01 Aug 2019 KABC TV
"INYO COUNTY, Calif. (KABC) -- A single-seat U.S. Navy fighter jet crashed Wednesday morning in Inyo County and the pilot's status was unknown, officials confirmed. A search-and-rescue helicopter was dispatched to the scene from Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake about 10 a.m., according to Commander Ron Flanders, a spokesman for U.S. Naval Air Forces.
Seven people on the ground suffered minor injuries, a spokesperson for Death Valley National Park said. It's not clear exactly how they were injured.
Joint Strike Fighter Wing public affairs officer. Lt. Cmdr. Lydia Bock said the aircraft was assigned to the "Vigilantes" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 151 based at Naval Air Station Lemoore, California.
According to KNTV, initial reports indicated the jet went down on the west side of Death Valley National Park, near the Father Crowley Overlook, which has been temporarily closed. The overlook is an area informally known as "Star Wars Canyon," which has been used for military training flights since the 1930s, said Patrick Taylor, a spokesperson for the park.
The location regularly attracts tourists eager to watch military pilots make their way through the narrow canyon in maneuvers that evoke the "Star Wars" films."
Source: https://abc7.com/navy-f-a-18e-fighter-j ... n/5433048/
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sh*t
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"Fellow Vigilantes,
There has been a tragedy in our squadron. Please standby for further information that will be passed using pre approved scripts. The response to any Naval mishap is critical to the emotional well-being of all involved parties. Please allow the investigation process to be completed as designed. As we deal with this mishap together as a Navy family, it is critical that everyone refrain from sharing information through social media or with friends and family. Well intentioned social media posts during past mishaps have caused unintended, yet irreparable, harm to the families involved. Honor your fellow brothers and sisters and their families by honouring the process." https://www.facebook.com/VFA151/
https://scontent.fsyd7-1.fna.fbcdn.net/ ... e=5DAAE128
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Honestly, surprising they don't have more crashes in Star Wars Canyon. Nonetheless, I pray he (or she) made it out in time. Yet, it doesn't sound good.....
More details here: https://www.latimes.com/california/stor ... china-lake
Bit pointless to speculate without any other details: http://hrana.org/news/2019/08/navy-jet- ... th-valley/
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Bit pointless to speculate without any other details
You know, those kind of comments are a bit pointless. How many details do you require one to have to speculate?
I was in this business a long time, and neither I, nor my family would have had any problem with 'speculation' about the event if I had skipped off a ridge-line. You prepare for this before the fact. There are a bare minimum of 'thin-skinned' people associated with the fighter business and the ones with the requisite 'thick skin' are generally willing to accept the fact that an outwardly well-intentioned display of sensitivity and reservation isn't going to change what occurred.
(There are other details available on that 'other site', though out of well-intentioned sensitivity, I won't reproduce that here.)
Well "'bully' for you" [look it up]. I was in the business of fast miljet low flying also. Less than fifty feet over water and of course briefed altitude over land, down deep valleys and skimming over flat table lands into the next deep valley, you can google earth the terrain south/southwest of NAS Nowra. Of course fast miljet flying at any level is dangerous for the many reasons extant on this and other forums. BUT why speculate if YOU have no more information about the actual accident to put forward. Don't be shy. IF you know more then tell us. Otherwise - without details - speculation is useless.
USN says Pilot Dead & More Info: https://theaviationgeekclub.com/u-s-nav ... rash-dead/
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There are few places in the US that offer more spectacular low level flying than the Edwards/China Lake Complex. For those unfamiliar, over the years there were several places that were informally labeled ‘Star Wars Canyon.’ Most (but not all) have faded into memory; this one has retained the label over time. It is on the northern half, western side of the Panamint Valley where Hwy 190 crosses the valley and snakes back up into the mountains west of Panamint Springs.
Panamint Springs & Star Wars Canyon top left via Google Earth west & north + zoom. Click on the pic for a better view.
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Otherwise - without details - speculation is useless.
Consider me as uselessly speculating for the 7 folks with 2nd degree burns.
Looking at the spectacular Google earth pics, and considering all the discussion on this forum about 5th gen thinking and glorious systems to preserve assets for 5th gen ops, is there then really a legitimate requirement for this type of ultra-low level training in this day and age?
Not an unreasonable question to ask of all the experts here, I would venture. Enlighten me.
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