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June 2022. U.S. Navy Hornet Crash. It was announced by the U.S. Navy that a F/A‑18E Super Hornet of Strike Fighter Squadron 113 (VFA‑113) “Stingers” crashed on Friday 3rd June at approximately 2:30pm Pacific Standard Time (PST). The aircraft which was on a routine training flight from N.A.S. Lemoore went down in a remote unpopulated area near Trona, California, an unincorporated Mojave Desert community in San Bernardino County. No one on the ground was injured, but tragically the pilot, Navy Lt. Richard Mackenzie “Kuato” Bullock was killed. The Navy is presently investigating the cause of the crash.

By coincidence the aircraft involved in the crash: Boeing F/A‑18E Super Hornet BuNo. 168881 ‘NE‑204’ was photographed by myself the previous Friday (May 27th) when along with another Hornet routed past my location in the Kern River Valley, a part of the Sidewinder military low flying route. (2022 ‑ Sidewinder Trip 1)

F/A-18E Super Hornet (168881 ‘NE-204’) of VFA‑113 caught low-level through the Kern River Valley, California.

Though the recent Hollywood sequel, Top Gun: Maverick portrays the glamorous gung‑ho attitude of the films aircrews, this recent tragedy is a stark reminder of how dangerous a profession real aircrew deal with day‑to‑day. My condolences go to Lt. Bullock's family, friends and fellow colleagues at VFA‑113 “Stingers”.