Navy Pilot Dies in Skyhawk Crash

A Navy pilot was killed Wednesday when a Miramar-based A-4E Skyhawk crashed in the Pacific during a training mission.

Officials declined to identify the pilot but said he belonged to VF 126, a squadron at Miramar Naval Air Station whose pilots play the role of adversary in training operations.

Details of the accident were sketchy, but Navy Chief Bobbie Carleton said the crash occurred at 10:15 a.m., about 60 miles west of San Diego.

According to a Navy report of the accident, the downed plane was one of two Skyhawks flying in a training mission. One of the planes developed unknown problems and began dropping toward the ocean.

The pilot ejected from the aircraft and landed in the water, Carleton said. She said a helicopter rescue crew took the pilot to the aircraft carrier Nimitz. Attempts by the rescue crew and medical personnel on the Nimitz failed to revive the pilot, Carleton said.

An investigation to determine the cause of the crash has begun.

The Skyhawk is a Vietnam War-era attack jet piloted by one flier that was used extensively by Navy and Marine pilots. In Vietnam, it was used primarily to attack enemy ground forces but could also engage in air-to-air combat. The plane was manufactured by McDonnell Douglas in Long Beach and is no longer in production.