A U.S. Air Force pilot from Riverside County was among eight men killed when a CV-22A Osprey crashed last week while on a training mission off the southern coast of Japan, the U.S. Department of Defense confirmed Tuesday.
Air Force Maj. Luke A. Unrath, 34, of Riverside was on the doomed flight. He was a CV-22 pilot and flight commander assigned to the 21st Special Operations Squadron, 353rd Special Operations Wing, Yokota Air Base, Japan.
On Nov. 28, the aircraft was involved in "an aviation mishap" off the shore of Yakushima Island, Japan, the DOD reported.
During a news briefing Tuesday, Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said all families of the eight airmen aboard the aircraft were notified.
The remains of three of the eight have been recovered. The remains of another three airmen were located and were in the process of being recovered, according to Ryder.
The recovery operation will now focus on locating and recovering the remaining two airmen and aircraft debris.
The deceased airmen are:
- Air Force Maj. Jeffrey T. Hoernemann, 32, of Andover, Minnesota, was a CV-22 Osprey instructor pilot and officer in charge of training. He was assigned to the 21st Special Operations Squadron, 353rd Special Operations Wing at Yokota Air Base, Japan.
- Air Force Maj. Eric V. Spendlove, 36, of St. George, Utah, was a residency trained flight surgeon and medical operations flight commander. He was assigned to the 1st Special Operations Squadron, 353rd Special Operations Wing at Kadena Air Base, Japan.
- Air Force Maj. Luke A. Unrath, 34, of Riverside, California, was a CV-22 pilot and flight commander. He was assigned to the 21st Special Operations Squadron, 353rd Special Operations Wing, Yokota Air Base, Japan.
- Air Force Capt. Terrell K. Brayman, 32, of Pittsford, New York, was a CV-22 pilot and flight commander. He was assigned to the 21st Special Operations Squadron, 353rd Special Operations Wing at Yokota Air Base, Japan.
- Air Force Tech. Sgt. Zachary E. Lavoy, 33, of Oviedo, Florida, was a medical operations flight chief. He was assigned to the 1st Special Operations Squadron, 353rd Special Operations Wing at Kadena Air Base, Japan.
- Air Force Staff Sgt. Jake M. Turnage, 25, of Kennesaw, Georgia, was a flight engineer. He was assigned to the 21st Special Operations Squadron, 353rd Special Operations Wing at Yokota Air Base, Japan.
- Air Force Staff Sgt. Jacob M. Galliher, 24, of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, was a direct support operator. He was assigned to the 43rd Intelligence Squadron, 363rd Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Wing at Yokota Air Base, Japan.
- Air Force Senior Airman Brian K. Johnson, 32, of Reynoldsburg, Ohio, was a flight engineer. He was assigned to the 21st Special Operations Squadron, 353rd Special Operations Wing at Yokota Air Base, Japan.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
When visiting events and local businesses, be sure to tell them Macaroni KID sent you... and don't forget to tell all your friends!
 |  |  |
