Marine Corps jet crash kills pilot near Twentynine Palms

The Marine Corps is investigating the cause of the crash and have not released the pilot’s name, according to the news release.

According to the Marine Corps, the pilot was conducting a training mission out of Air Station Miramar, just north of San Diego. Complex training exercises that involve multiple components such as surface fire and air support go through a rigorous process known as deconfliction to ensure that aircraft are not hit by ground fire such as artillery rounds.

The nature of the training mission was not specified.

His personal awards include the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with gold star (in lieu of second award). In 2015, only F-35 pilots got the flight hours they needed, he said.

When asked if the reduced flying hours put Marine Corps pilots’ lives at risk, Davis replied, “I do not think we’re unsafe, but we’re not as proficient as we should be”.

In June, the US Navy’s Blue Angels aerial acrobatics team lost one of its pilots in another F/A-18 crash.