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Lieutenant-Colonel Seth "Jethro" Nehring, fighter pilot of the 194th National Guard fighter squadron in the United States, is part of the 144th Fighter Wing based in Fresno, California, during a training familiarization routine.
The American pilot aboard a Ukrainian air force fighter plane killed during the crash of the plane during a training exercise. Training in Ukraine Tuesday has now been identified as being from California, officials said.
Lieutenant-Colonel Seth "Jethro" Nehring, fighter pilot of the Air Force, was part of the 194th Fighter Squadron of the California Air National Guard, which was part of the 144th Fighter Wing based in Fresno .
Nehring was a member of the 144th for more than 20 years. He began his career as a crew chief before being selected for a pilot seat; He flew the F-16 Viper for over 15 years and converted to the F-15 Eagle, the Air Force announced.
"We are a united family and when such a tragedy occurs, every member of the 144th Fighter Squadron feels it," said Colonel Daniel Kelly, commander of the 144th FW, Fox News. "We share the sorrow felt by Jethro's dearest loved ones and our thoughts and prayers accompany his family and friends, as well as those of the Ukrainian airman."
According to officials, Nehring and a Ukrainian pilot were killed in the accident that occurred in the Khmelnytskyi region, in western Ukraine, 175 km south-west. west of the capital Kiev.
The accident occurred during a joint military training between the US military and Ukrainian counterparts, known as Clear Sky 2018, as previously reported by Fox News.
The joint military training was presented as the "very first Clear Sky exercise", which was to take place mainly at the Starokostiantyniv Air Base in Ukraine, as well as in other areas and training fields of the region.
Staff from nine countries are participating in exercises that began in Ukraine on 8 October.
The US and Ukrainian governments have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the accident, officials said.
Jennifer Griffin and Lucas Tomlinson of Fox News and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
