Marine Colonel Leffler perished in the crash of an AV-8B in Southern California.
COL. KEVIN E. LEFFLER
Call Sign: Snatcher Died: Aug. 30, 1999
Three years before Leffler's death, the Marines
discovered that a wrong-sized washer had
been installed in some Harrier engines. The
error caused two nonfatal crashes.
The Naval Air Systems Command ordered a
partial inspection of the Harrier fleet for
the problem part. The engine in Leffler's
AV-8B was never checked.
Investigators say the washer caused
Leffler's plane to lose power over Death Valley
National Park, forcing him to eject into
high winds.
He landed hard in rocky terrain and died of
a head injury.
A highly experienced pilot with nearly 3,000
hours of flight time, Leffler, 49, was nine
months from retirement.
He was commanding officer of the Marine Aviation
Detachment at the Naval Air Warfare Center
at China Lake, Calif.
COL. KEVIN E. LEFFLER
Call Sign: Snatcher Died: Aug. 30, 1999
Three years before Leffler's death, the Marines
discovered that a wrong-sized washer had
been installed in some Harrier engines. The
error caused two nonfatal crashes.
The Naval Air Systems Command ordered a
partial inspection of the Harrier fleet for
the problem part. The engine in Leffler's
AV-8B was never checked.
Investigators say the washer caused
Leffler's plane to lose power over Death Valley
National Park, forcing him to eject into
high winds.
He landed hard in rocky terrain and died of
a head injury.
A highly experienced pilot with nearly 3,000
hours of flight time, Leffler, 49, was nine
months from retirement.
He was commanding officer of the Marine Aviation
Detachment at the Naval Air Warfare Center
at China Lake, Calif.
Marine Colonel Leffler perished in the crash of an AV-8B in Southern California.
COL. KEVIN E. LEFFLER
Call Sign: Snatcher Died: Aug. 30, 1999
Three years before Leffler's death, the Marines
discovered that a wrong-sized washer had
been installed in some Harrier engines. The
error caused two nonfatal crashes.
The Naval Air Systems Command ordered a
partial inspection of the Harrier fleet for
the problem part. The engine in Leffler's
AV-8B was never checked.
Investigators say the washer caused
Leffler's plane to lose power over Death Valley
National Park, forcing him to eject into
high winds.
He landed hard in rocky terrain and died of
a head injury.
A highly experienced pilot with nearly 3,000
hours of flight time, Leffler, 49, was nine
months from retirement.
He was commanding officer of the Marine Aviation
Detachment at the Naval Air Warfare Center
at China Lake, Calif.
COL. KEVIN E. LEFFLER
Call Sign: Snatcher Died: Aug. 30, 1999
Three years before Leffler's death, the Marines
discovered that a wrong-sized washer had
been installed in some Harrier engines. The
error caused two nonfatal crashes.
The Naval Air Systems Command ordered a
partial inspection of the Harrier fleet for
the problem part. The engine in Leffler's
AV-8B was never checked.
Investigators say the washer caused
Leffler's plane to lose power over Death Valley
National Park, forcing him to eject into
high winds.
He landed hard in rocky terrain and died of
a head injury.
A highly experienced pilot with nearly 3,000
hours of flight time, Leffler, 49, was nine
months from retirement.
He was commanding officer of the Marine Aviation
Detachment at the Naval Air Warfare Center
at China Lake, Calif.
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Advertisement
