UPDATE: Navy officials have identified the two aviators killed in a U.S. Navy fighter jet crash near Key West.
They have been identified as identified as Lt. Cmdr. James Brice Johnson and Lt. Caleb Nathaniel King.
“The entire Blacklion Family is grieving the loss of two great Americans. Lt. Cmdr. Johnson and Lt. King were phenomenal young men, exceptional Naval Aviators, and were living models of what Honor, Courage, and Commitment really mean,” said VFA-213’s Commanding Officer, Cmdr. Kevin Robb.
EARLIER STORY:
WASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. Navy fighter jet crashed Wednesday off the coast of Key West, Florida, killing its two crew members.
The F/A-18 Super Hornet was on approach to land at the naval air station around 4:30 p.m. EDT, and crashed into the water about a mile east of the runway.
The pilot and weapons system officer ejected and were recovered, but U.S. Naval Air Forces reported late Wednesday night that both had died. Their names are being withheld pending notification of next of kin. The cause of the crash is also under investigation.
The aircraft crew is based out of Naval Air Station Oceana, in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The Super Hornet is a twin-engine fighter jet that is larger than the single-seat F/A-18 Hornet.
President Donald Trump has tweeted his condolences.
