>>7345104 (lb)
On Wednesday July 31st 1st Lt. Charles Z. Walker aged 33 lost his life in a low-level training accident at approx 9.30am while operating his F-18E Super Hornet in the Death Valley Military Operational Area.
7 spectators on the ground were injured.
No FAA, no NTSB. Just military investigation.
Crash took place just below FATHER CROWLEY point, HWY 190 (!!!), RAINBOW Canyon/ Star Wars Canyon, part of the R2508 Restricted Air Operations Area operated by Edwards Air Force Base.
VFA-151 Vigilantes.
2 planes trail formation.
He was the lead.
He was a "very experienced Navy fighter pilot".
Did the pilot:
overcook the turn?
was the sun a factor at that time that morning?
a. blinded and or b. some terrain disappeared in shadow giving a false depth / light to dark quickly? too quickly?
i wonder if someone hit him with a laser from a parking lot?
mechanical issue?
bird strike?
health / physiological incident? GLock?
first flight into the high speed low level flight regime after his other duty stations?