2 Military Planes Collide; Pilots Safe
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BRAWLEY — Two military planes collided Thursday over a practice bombing range in the Chocolate Mountains of Imperial County and crashed in the desert. The pilots ejected safely, officials said.
The A-7E Corsair II one-seat bomber jets were based at the Naval Air Station at Lemoore in Kings County, said Dennis McGrath, public affairs officer for Lemoore.
McGrath identified the pilots as Cmdr. Ron MacGarvey of Lemoore and Lt. (j.g.) D. Peter Schnorr of Philadelphia. Both pilots were reportedly in good condition, he said.
“The last I heard they were both OK,” he said.
The two jets were flying out of the Naval Air Facility at El Centro, about 15 miles south of Brawley, Imperial County sheriff’s dispatcher Linda Valenzuela said.
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