Navy Confirms Pilot Died in Jet Crash in Death Valley

An F/A-18D Hornet from the VX-9 Vampire squadron at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, flies out of Star Wars Canyon toward the Panamint range in Death Valley National Park, Calif. on Feb. 27, 2017. AP Photo/Ben Margot, File

LOS ANGELES—The pilot of a U.S. Navy jet fighter that crashed in Death Valley National Park was killed, the military said Thursday.

The identity of the pilot will be withheld until 24 hours after notification of next-of-kin in accordance with Defense Department policy, the Navy said in a statement.