Navy jet crashes in Death Valley

A Navy fighter jet crashed Wednesday, July 31, 2019, in Death Valley National Park, Calif., injuring multiple people who were at a scenic overlook where aviation enthusiasts routinely watch military pilots speeding low through a chasm dubbed Star Wars Canyon, officials said.

Section:Gallery

Wed., July 31, 2019

In this April 11, 2010, photo, tourists walk along a ridge at Death Valley National Park, Calif. A U.S. Navy fighter jet crashed Wednesday, July 31, 2019, in the national park, injuring several people who were at a scenic overlook where aviation enthusiasts routinely watch military pilots speeding low through a chasm dubbed Star Wars Canyon, officials said.

Brian Melley Associated Press
In this Feb. 27, 2017 photo, an F/A-18D Hornet from the VX-9 Vampire squadron at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, flies out of what is known as Star Wars Canyon toward the Panamint Range in Death Valley National Park, Calif. On Wednesday, July 31, 2019 a U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet jet crashed in the California desert and a search-and-rescue operation was underway, officials said. The single-seat warplane went down at 9:50 a.m. during a routine training mission north of the China Lake Base.

Ben Margot Associated Press
In this Feb. 28, 2017, photo, an FA/18E Super Hornet from NAS Lemoore flies through a rugged area over Death Valley National Park in the California desert that is a popular training area for military aviators. On Wednesday, July 31, 2019 a U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet jet crashed in Death Valley National Park, injuring several people who were at a scenic overlook where aviation enthusiasts routinely watch military pilots speeding low through the chasm dubbed Star Wars Canyon, officials said.

Ben Margot Associated Press
In this Feb. 27, 2017, photo, a Beechcraft T-6 Texan II trainer from Sheppard AFB Texas flies out of what is known as Star Wars Canyon, a rugged area over Death Valley National Park in the California desert that is a training area for military aviators. A U.S. Navy fighter jet crashed Wednesday, July 31, 2019, in the national park, injuring several people who were at the scenic overlook where aviation enthusiasts routinely watch military pilots speeding low through “Star Wars Canyon,” officials said. U.S. and foreign militaries train pilots and test jets in the gorge officially called Rainbow Canyon near the park’s western entrance. Military flights there date back to World War II. Training flights are almost a daily feature with jets thundering below the rim of the canyon.

Ben Margot Associated Press