2 Die, 2 Survive in Collision of Air Force Jets

Two crew members were killed and two survived when two F-4 Phantom jets collided Thursday morning and crashed in the desert at Death Valley National Monument, George Air Force Base officials said.

The jets were on a training mission when they crashed at 10:50 a.m., eight miles southwest of Furnace Creek, Death Valley’s main tourist center, according to Tech. Sgt. Rick Corrall.

Surviving the crash by ejecting from their jet were Capt. Wade J. Lujan, a pilot assigned to the 20th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron, and Capt. Roland Molter, a weapons systems officer and West German national assigned to the First German Air Force Training Squadron at George Air Force Base.

The names of the two dead crew members are being withheld until relatives have been notified. A search-and-rescue unit from China Lake Naval Air Station arrived on the scene shortly after the crash. Two other recovery teams from George Air Force Base in San Bernardino County also were dispatched by U.S. Army helicopter.

The surviving crewmen were airlifted to China Lake, where they were examined and released. They were not injured.

Air Force officials released no other details on how the crash occurred, pending an investigation.