CALIFORNIA IN BRIEF : SAN DIEGO : Navy Pilot Killed in Jet Fighter Crash
From Times Staff and Wire Reports
A well-known Navy pilot who had spent 24 years in the service was killed after he ejected from his plunging jet fighter, the Navy announced. Cmdr. John J. Roach, 47, who served in Vietnam and flew combat missions in the Persian Gulf War, died Wednesday after the single-seat A-4 Skyhawk crashed into the Pacific. Roach was assigned to the air wing staff at Miramar Naval Air Station, said a base spokeswoman. It was not yet known whether the plane had engine problems. An investigation is under way.
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