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| Date: | Thursday 27 February 1997 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Beechcraft T-34C |
| Owner/operator: | U.S. Marine Corps VMFAT-101 |
| Registration: | 160504 |
| MSN: | GL-61 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Silverado Canyon, Santa Ana, CA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | KNZJ |
| KNJK |
Two sailors were killed while flying a T-34C Turbomentor when it impacted terrain in a canyon. Killed were 32-year-old Lt. John E. Bush and 25-year-old Lt.j.g. Michael E. Moffat, Jr. Both men were assigned to Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron (VMFAT) 101, at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, California. They departed El Toro enroute to Naval Air Station El Centro, California. Upon arrival, Lt Bush was to have acted as the landing signal officer (LSO) and coached student Marine F/A-18 pilots to simulated carrier landings at El Centro. After takeoff, the T-34C entered the Santa Ana mountains, likely to fly through various picturesque canyons. Unfortunately, the common "marine layer" of low clouds and visibility prevailed over the mountains, and the plane struck a canyon wall, killing both pilots.
Sources:
https://www.upi.com/Archives/1997/02/27/Military-plane-crash-kills-two/8161857019600/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2D3SMTyZ6q4
http://cgibin.rcn.com/jeremy.k/cgi-bin/gzNavySearch.pl?target=60507&series=3
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 03-Nov-2018 17:28 | TB | Added |
| 08-Oct-2025 05:41 | Zorchin | Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, ] |
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