Was First Pilot To Reach 500 Hours Flying An F-35

A retired U.S. Air Force pilot from Arizona was fatally injured on Sunday when the Cessna 421B he was flying went down in Union County, OH. Lt. Col. Matthew A. Hayden, the former Commander, 56th Training Squadron at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona, was the only person on board the aircraft.

According to a Union County Sheriff's Office news release, the accident occurred on March 17, 2019 at approximately 5:42 pm. The plane went down in a farm field along US Route 42, between Harriott Road and Bell Road in Jerome Township.

The flight originated from Dayton International Airport in Dayton, Ohio at approximately 5:17 pm and was enroute to the Delaware Municipal Airport in Delaware, Ohio. The aircraft is owned by Classic Solutions Company, Incorporated of Bakersfield, California. The plane is a 1974 Cessna 421B fixed wing, multi engine aircraft with eight seats and two engines.

A bio of Lt. Col. Hayden posted on the Luke AFB website indicates he entered the Air Force in 1998 as a distinguished graduate from the U.S. Air Force Academy. He accumulated more than 2,500 flight hours in 30 aircraft types with operational experience in the F-16, and he served as an experimental test pilot in the F-16 and F-35.  The colonel flew the F-16 in support of operations Iraqi Freedom, Southern Watch, and Northern Watch.  His staff assignments include Developmental Test and Evaluation Lead at the Joint Strike Fighter Program Office, Arlington, Va. He arrived at Luke AFB in July 2014, and prior to his current assignment he was the Chief of Safety for the 56th Fighter Wing.

He was a decorated officer, having been presented with the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, The Air Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, and several others.

(USAF image)

FMI: www.co.union.oh.us/media, www.luke.af.mil