Four Marines died Wednesday night when their UC-35D aircraft, a military version of a Cessna Citation Encore, crashed on approach to Miramar Marine Corps Air Station, near San Diego. The plane crashed about 8:45 p.m., about a mile and a half east of the airstrip, and burned. The crew didn’t report any problems prior to the crash. They had been on a routine training mission to Grand Junction, Colo., and were on their way home. The aircraft was reportedly making an instrument approach, and there was fog in the area. It was the first deadly crash on the base in more than 20 years. The crash will be investigated by a military board. The Marines were identified as Lt. Col. T. Nicholson, 44; Lt. Col. Robert Zeisler, 46; Gunnery Sgt. Francisco Cortez, 42; and Lance Cpl. Jeremy Lindroth, 23.
Four Marines Die In Citation Crash
Key Takeaways:
- Four Marines died Wednesday night when their UC-35D aircraft (a military Cessna Citation Encore) crashed and burned on approach to Miramar Marine Corps Air Station, near San Diego.
- The plane, returning from a routine training mission, crashed about 1.5 miles east of the airstrip during an instrument approach, with fog reported in the area and no prior problems reported by the crew.
- This incident marks the first deadly crash on the base in over 20 years and will be investigated by a military board.
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