Pilot dies in White Sands crash

Training flight for A-29 Super Tucano

A Navy lieutenant died Friday when the aircraft he was piloting crashed on the White Sands Missile Range, according to a news release.

Lt. Christopher Carey Short, who is from Canandaigua, N.Y., had been flying the A-29 aircraft over the Red Rio Bombing Range, which is located north of Holloman Air Force Base.

A second person who was on board during the crash was airlifted to a nearby hospital with minor injuries, according to the Alamogordo Daily News.

The “mishap” is under investigation, the news release said.

“There’s no way to describe the shock of this loss and the sadness we feel for his family,” said Col. Houston Cantwell, who commands Holloman’s 49th Wing. “He did pioneering work in aviation that will help shape American air power for years to come. We’re thankful to have known him and grateful for his devotion to duty.”

The Alamogordo Daily News reports that the A-29 Super Tucano crashed during a training flight which was part of the Air Force’s Light Attack Experiment. And Military.com reported that the Air Force has been conducting tests to determine whether it will use the Super Tucano or the AT-6 Wolverine for its planned fleet of light attack aircraft.