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One sailor died and two others were injured Wednesday night when a Navy E-2D Hawkeye aircraft crashed off the coast of Virginia.
The Navy didn’t identify the Hawkeye’s unit, but said in a statement that it was assigned to an “East Coast Airborne Command and Control Squadron” and crashed near Wallops Island and Chincoteague, Virginia, northeast of Norfolk.
The crew member who died was found deceased in the aircraft, but the Navy has not yet released the name, pending next-of-kin notification.
Two other crew members were rescued by a Coast Guard search and rescue team and “are being medically treated for non-life threatening injuries,” the Navy said.
The twin-engine turboprop aircraft carries five crew members and has a 24-foot radar rotodome atop its upper fuselage.
Such aircraft provide a variety of eye-in-the-sky capabilities for the Navy, including surveillance and communications relay.
No further information was released Wednesday night, and officials did not immediately confirm whether the plane struck land or water, but officials said updates will be released as the situation develops.
Geoff is a senior staff reporter for Military Times, focusing on the Navy. He covered Iraq and Afghanistan extensively and was most recently a reporter at the Chicago Tribune. He welcomes any and all kinds of tips at geoffz@militarytimes.com.
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