On Friday, the Navy identified the serviceman who was killed in the crash of E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft in the seas off Virginia on Wednesday.
The Navy said that Lt. Hyrum Hanlon was aboard the aircraft when it went down during regular flying operations between Wallops Island and Chincoteague, Virginia. The aircraft was assigned to the Airborne Command and Control Squadron (VAW) 120 in Norfolk.
In May 2017, Hanlon graduated from Arizona State University and was commissioned as an officer in the Navy. On 31 January 2021, he became a member of the VAW-120.
In a statement, VAW-120 Commanding Officer Cmdr. Martin Fentress Jr. remarked, “It takes a courageous and patriotic person to devote their life to the selflessness of serving in the armed forces. Hyrum embodied those characteristics and will be truly missed by his family and the Hawkeye community. We sincerely appreciate the public respecting the family’s privacy during this difficult time as they mourn his loss.”
Non-fatal injuries were sustained by two additional crew members who were rescued from the aircraft crash.
The accident’s cause is still being looked into. Naval officials said no pollution or fuel release occurred around the accident location.
During a NATO drill in Norway in March, 4 Marines died when their aircraft went down. An MV-22B Osprey aircraft crashed during a training for Operation Cold Response, which includes 220 aircraft, 30,000 soldiers, and 50 warships from 27 nations.
During an incident that involved two choppers at Fort Stewart, Georgia, a soldier in the Army also died.
