Carlsbad Aviator 1 of 3 Dead in Crash
A North San Diego County man was identified Wednesday as one of three naval aviators killed in the crash of an electronic warfare jet in Imperial County.
The Navy EA-6B Prowler crashed Tuesday in a field near the Naval Air Facility in El Centro. The three crewmen aboard the aircraft were assigned to VAQ-129, squadron based at Whidbey Island, Wash., and were in El Centro for training, said Dave Desilets, public affairs officer for the El Centro base.
The victims were Navy Lt. Charles R. Gurley, 30, of Carlsbad; Navy Lt. (j.g.) Kenneth D. Roberts, 25, of Bend, Ore., and Marine Corps 1st Lt. Peter T. Limoge, 27, of Shelburne, Vt., said spokesman Howard Thomas for the Whidbey Island air base.
The cause of the crash is under investigation, Thomas said.
Twelve of the radar-jamming planes have crashed in the past 10 years--a good safety record for a military tactical jet, he said.
The plane crashed about half a mile from the base about 2 p.m. Tuesday, Desilets. There was an explosion on impact and a fire, but he would not say whether the plane was taking off or landing.
The Prowler is a four-seat, electronic countermeasure aircraft.
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