Navy Skyhawk Jet Loses Power, Crashes; Pilot Safe
SAN DIEGO — A Navy A-4 Skyhawk jet with the elite “Top Gun†squadron crashed Thursday near Miramar Naval Air Station and the pilot ejected safely, officials said.
Lt. Cmdr. Stanley R. O’Connor, a 37-year-old Top Gun flight instructor, was approaching Miramar after a routine flight when he radioed the air traffic control tower that the single-seat attack jet was losing power.
The aircraft, considered one of the Navy’s workhorses, crashed shortly after 10 a.m., six miles east of Miramar’s runways. Officials are investigating the accident, which comes 13 days after an unprecedented 48-hour Navy-wide safety review ordered because of a rash of mishaps.
After telling controllers he was losing power as he neared the runway, O’Connor guided the Skyhawk to a remote area of the 24,000-acre Miramar complex, 13 miles north of downtown San Diego.
The Navy’s A-4 plane is usually used in Top Gun squadron mock battles as the enemy aircraft.
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