RIP
Pilot dies after Harrier jet crashes near Cherry Point
Posted: Today at 1:47 p.m.
Updated: 8 minutes agoHAVELOCK, N.C. —A Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier jet crashed early Monday afternoon near the Marine Corps' Cherry Point air station in eastern North Carolina, killing the pilot.
Officials said the crash of the single-seat fighter occurred at approximately 12:30 p.m. while it was returning from a routine training flight.
{{video href="video-4212181"}}
The pilot's name is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
Cherry Point spokesman Michael Barton said in a news release that the plane crashed in woods near one of the base's two runways near N.C. Highway 101, not far from a terminal for a state Department of Transportation ferry that crosses the Neuse River.
The cause of the crash is under investigation, but investigators said they do not believe weather was a factor.
Cherry Point is home to the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, and the jet was part of a training squadron, where pilots come to hone their skills with the Harrier.
Monday's crash comes in the same month that another Marine jet crashed in a San Diego neighborhood near its base, killing four people on the ground.
Another Harrier crashed in February near the base in Carteret County, but the pilot was not injured. (View a list of recent crashes involving Cherry Point Harriers.)
A two-seat training model crashed in May in Arizona, but the pilots ejected safely.
The Marine Corps began acquiring the British-designed Harriers in 1971 and has implemented various revisions.
The aircraft, which can direct their jet exhaust downward to take off and land vertically or with a very short runway, were intended to provide air support to ground troops in areas where conventional runways were not available.
The Harrier was considered accident prone in its original configuration, but has overcome that reputation in current models.
Reporter: Mike Charbonneau
Web Editor: Kelly Gardner
Link
http://www.wral.com/news/state/story/4210879/
Pilot dies after Harrier jet crashes near Cherry Point
Posted: Today at 1:47 p.m.
Updated: 8 minutes agoHAVELOCK, N.C. —A Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier jet crashed early Monday afternoon near the Marine Corps' Cherry Point air station in eastern North Carolina, killing the pilot.
Officials said the crash of the single-seat fighter occurred at approximately 12:30 p.m. while it was returning from a routine training flight.
{{video href="video-4212181"}}
The pilot's name is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
Cherry Point spokesman Michael Barton said in a news release that the plane crashed in woods near one of the base's two runways near N.C. Highway 101, not far from a terminal for a state Department of Transportation ferry that crosses the Neuse River.
The cause of the crash is under investigation, but investigators said they do not believe weather was a factor.
Cherry Point is home to the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, and the jet was part of a training squadron, where pilots come to hone their skills with the Harrier.
Monday's crash comes in the same month that another Marine jet crashed in a San Diego neighborhood near its base, killing four people on the ground.
Another Harrier crashed in February near the base in Carteret County, but the pilot was not injured. (View a list of recent crashes involving Cherry Point Harriers.)
A two-seat training model crashed in May in Arizona, but the pilots ejected safely.
The Marine Corps began acquiring the British-designed Harriers in 1971 and has implemented various revisions.
The aircraft, which can direct their jet exhaust downward to take off and land vertically or with a very short runway, were intended to provide air support to ground troops in areas where conventional runways were not available.
The Harrier was considered accident prone in its original configuration, but has overcome that reputation in current models.
Reporter: Mike Charbonneau
Web Editor: Kelly Gardner
Link
http://www.wral.com/news/state/story/4210879/