Two Pilots Safe After Desert Crash of Jet
An Air Force training jet crashed into the Mojave Desert here Tuesday morning, but the two men on board parachuted to safety, base officials said.
U.S. Air Force Capt. Roderick L. Cregier, the commander of the aircraft, and a Swedish Air Force pilot were picked up by a helicopter, taken to a base hospital, examined and released.
“Both are in good condition,” said Edwards spokeswoman Dottie Spiegelberg.
The name of the Swedish pilot, who was taking part in an exchange training program, was not released.
The crash was under investigation by Air Force officials, but the cause was not immediately determined, Spiegelberg said.
The two men were flying an A-37 two-seat, twin-engine jet on a mission for the Air Force Test Pilot School when the crash occurred at 10 a.m. in an unpopulated portion of the base. A-37 jets, built mainly in the late 1950s, are used primarily to train pilots at Edwards.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
