LOS ANGELES — The U.S. Navy has identified the pilot killed in the crash of a fighter jet in the California desert.
A Navy statement Friday says the pilot was 33-year-old Lt. Charles Z. Walker.
“The NAS Lemoore aviation family is grieving the loss of one of our own. Lt. Walker was an incredible naval aviator, husband, and son.” — Capt. James Bates, commander, Strike Fighter Wing Pacific
The Navy released a photo of Walker but provided no additional information, such as his hometown.
“The NAS Lemoore aviation family is grieving the loss of one of our own,” said Capt. James Bates, commander of the Strike Fighter Wing Pacific. “Lt. Walker was an incredible naval aviator, husband, and son.”
Crash Is Under Investigation
Walker’s F/A-18E Super Hornet crashed July 31 in Death Valley National Park while flying through a canyon where military pilots routinely conduct low-level training missions.
The crash occurred near a park area nicknamed Star Wars Canyon where tourists often gather to watch the jets.
Seven park visitors on a canyon overlook suffered minor injuries caused by debris from the crash.
The Super Hornet was assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron VFA-151 based at Naval Air Station Lemoore. The fighter squadron is part of an air group attached to the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
More About the Pilot
According to military records, Walker received his commission Dec. 15, 2008, after graduating from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Dayton Beach, Florida. He was a member of the Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps there.
Walker joined Lemoore’s VFA-122 in June 2011 and then reported to the VFA-195 “Dambusters” in April 2012 for a three-year stint in Iwakuni, Japan.
