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U.S. Navy identifies pilot killed in 'Star Wars Canyon' crash

Lt. Charles Walker, 33
Posted at 3:35 PM, Aug 02, 2019
and last updated 2019-08-02 18:35:11-04

LOS ANGELES (AP) - The U.S. Navy has identified the pilot killed in the crash of a fighter jet in the California desert.

A Navy statement Friday says the pilot was 33-year-old Lt. Charles Z. Walker.

The Navy released a photo of Walker but provided no additional information, such as his hometown.

Walker's F/A-18E Super Hornet crashed July 31 in Death Valley National Park while flying through a canyon nicknamed 'Star Wars Canyon' where military pilots routinely conduct low-level training missions.

Seven park visitors on a canyon overlook suffered minor injuries caused by debris from the crash.

The Super Hornet was assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron VFA-151 based at Naval Air Station Lemoore in California's Central Valley.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.