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 were killed when their UC-35D aircraft (military Cessna Citation Encore) crashed Wednesday night during an instrument approach to Miramar Marine Corps Air Station near San Diego.
- The aircraft was returning from a routine training mission and crashed approximately 1.5 miles east of the airstrip in foggy conditions, with no problems reported by the crew beforehand.
- This was the first deadly crash on the base in over 20 years, and a military board will conduct an investigation into the incident.
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