A-29 Super Tucano Went Down June 22

The U.S. Navy announced June 23 the death of a Navy pilot who was involved in a mishap at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico.

Lt. Christopher Carey Short, from Canandaigua, New York, died June 22 when the A-29 aircraft he was piloting went while on a mission over the Red Rio Bombing Range, part of White Sands Missile Range, north of Holloman.

MSN reports that, according to U.S. military officials, Lt. Short was taking part in a training flight "as a part of the Air Force’s Light Attack Experiment.”

In a statement, Air Force Col. Houston Cantwell, commander of Holloman's 49th Wing, said Lt. Short "did pioneering work in aviation that will help shape American air power for years to come. We're thankful to have known him and grateful for his devotion to duty."

A second person aboard the airplane suffered minor injuries and was treated at a local hospital. That crewmember's name was not immediately released.

The aircraft was owned and operated by a contractor, according to the U.S. Air Force.

The Red Rio Bombing Range is part of the White Sands Missile Range, a U.S. Army installation and the Department of Defense's largest, open-air test range. Fire and police units from the White Sands Missile Range Directorate of Emergency Services initially responded to the report of the accident.

The cause of the mishap is under investigation.

(Source: U.S. Navy, USAF news releases and as cited. Image provided by the U.S. Navy)

FMI: www.af.mil, www.navy.mil, Original report