Four U.S. servicemen killed after plane crashes close to Somalia border

NAIROBI ( Keydmedia) — Four American servicemen have died after a plane crash in Africa, the military announced today.

The reconnaissance flight was just six miles from the U.S. base in Djibouti when it came down on its way back from a mission in Afghanistan.

The crash occurred at about 8 pm on Saturday, and personnel from Camp Lemonnier in the tiny Horn of Africa nation raced out to the scene Specialist Ryan Whitney of the 1st Special Operations Wing said that initial indications are that the plane did not crash because of hostile fire - even though the camp is just a few miles from the border with Somalia.

The plane was conducting an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance mission, he said. A statement from U.S. Africa Command called it a \'routine\' flight.

Amy Oliver, public affairs director of the Air Force 1st Special Operations Wing, said the single-engine, fixed-wing U-28A was returning from a mission in support of the Afghanistan war.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

The four killed in the crash included: Capt. Ryan P. Hall, 30, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, with the 319th Special Operations Squadron; Capt. Nicholas S. Whitlock, 29, of Newnan, Georgia, with the 34th Special Operations Squadron; 1st Lt. Justin J. Wilkens, 26, of Bend, Oregon, with the 34th Special Operations Squadron; and Senior Airman Julian S. Scholten, 26, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, with the 25th Intelligence Squadron.

Hall was a U-28 pilot with more than 1,300 combat flight hours. He was assigned to the 319th Special Operations Squadron at Hurlburt Field, Fla.

Source: Mail online

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