Crash Killed 7 Servicemen; 1 Missing

Seven crewmen who died when a U.S. gunship crashed off Kenya might have tried to parachute too late. Rescue teams searched the waters offshore Tuesday for a missing crewman who reportedly jumped clear of the aircraft.

Lt. Col. Mike Gannon, speaking from the scene, said six crewmen survived, including three who stayed in the plane when it ditched in the Indian Ocean late Monday 75 miles north of Mombasa.

The dead crewmen’s parachutes were deployed, indicating they might have attempted to jump when the aircraft was too low.

Preliminary indications pointed to engine failure as the cause of the crash, an official said. The plane and its crew were from the Air Force’s 16th Special Operations Squadron, based in Florida.