The U.S. military has identified the heavily-decorated Marine Corps pilot who was killed Thursday when his combat jet crashed near a San Diego base during a training flight.
Maj. Andrew Mettler was piloting an F/A-18D Hornet when it went down at 11:54 p.m. Thursday near Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing said in a statement from its headquarters in Cherry Point, North Carolina.
Searchers recovered Mettler's body at the site, and the crash remains under investigation.
'My wife and I are devastated by the loss of our Marine Pilot son and our hearts are pouring out for our daughter-in-law and our three grandchildren,' Mettler's father Mike said in a statement.
Known as 'Simple Jack,' Mettler - a member of the Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron - was a native of Georgia and stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort in South Carolina.
Maj. Andrew Mettler was piloting an F/A-18D Hornet when it went down at 11:54 p.m. Thursday near Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing said in a statement from its headquarters in Cherry Point, North Carolina
He was commissioned in 2007 and was a leader in his squadron, the Fighting Bengals, at the time of his death.
'I had the great honor of flying in an F/A-18D with Simple Jack and will always remember his skill piloting the Hornet and his wry smile,' Maj. Gen. Scott Benedict, the commanding general of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, said in a statement.
Mettler's career awards include the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and the Korea Defense Service Medal.
The crash site was described as government property east of the air station. The site about 10 miles north of downtown San Diego is an area of largely vacant land.
Rescuers went through heavy fog in the search area east of the base near Interstate 15 on Friday, when a spokesman for the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing confirmed the pilot's body had been found.
‘Search and rescue recovered the US Marine Corps pilot who has been confirmed deceased at the site,' he added.
The Mach 2 aircraft was described by the Navy as the 'workhorse of Marine Corps tactical aviation'.
Mettler was the only person on board the plane.
Known as 'Simple Jack,' Mettler (pictured right) - a member of the Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron - was a native of Georgia and stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort in South Carolina
Rescuers went through heavy fog in the search area east of the base near Interstate 15 on Friday, when a spokesman for the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing confirmed the pilot's body had been found
Rescue workers combing the crash site east of the Miramar airbase early Friday morning
The pilot was flying out of the Marines' Miramar airbase near San Diego
The Mach 2 aircraft introduced in 1983 is described as a 'workforce' of the US Navy but is due to be phased out by 2030
The Mach 2 is flown by Marine Corps Reserve squadrons, the Navy's Blue Angels aerobatic display team, along with other fleet support roles.
It's the fifth Class-A aviation mishap - meaning damage totaling over $2million or in a fatality - in the current fiscal year, the first involving a Marine Corps plane, according to Task & Purpose.
Introduced in 1983, it is due to be phased out by 2030 and replaced with the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
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