The pilot who died after ejecting from a U2 spy plane that crashed in northern California was identified as Lt. Col. Ira S. Eadie.
(FOX)- Eadie was assigned to the 1st Reconnaissance Squadron at Beale Air Force Base near Sacramento, California. The Air Force did not release his age or hometown.
Another pilot who survived sustained injuries that are not life-threatening and is now recovering in good condition at a local medical facility, base officials said Wednesday. The surviving pilot was not identified.
Col. Danielle Barnes, a senior officer who oversees base operations, said military personnel recovering the two pilots found that both their parachutes had deployed. She said she could not discuss what caused the plane to crash or Eadie’s death. There’s no timeline for investigators to conclude their probe.
“They will take as long as they need to execute a thorough and detailed investigation,” Barnes said.
The Air Force said the plane was conducting a training mission on a routine flight path before something went wrong and the high-flying aircraft slammed into a mountainous area about 20 miles west of the runway.
(Photo Credit:U.S. Air Force via AP)