The CH-53 Super Stallion crashed Feb. 6, 2024, during a night flight when it hit a mountain near Pine Valley, California, killing all five Marines aboard.
The incident, in which the pilots were safely recovered, marks the third time since December that an F/A-18 assigned to the carrier Truman has been lost.
Rear Adm. Kenneth W. “Pete” Pettigrew’s Vietnam success made him the only Top Gun instructor to put his training to practical use against an enemy plane.