[smokingfrog]

Wermers had been based at Whiting Field about three years, Cope said. He received his commission as a naval officer in 2002 and served in fleet air reconnaissance squadrons before he began training other aviators.

[Tuscaloosa Goldfinch]

Prayers up - hoping for a miracle.

[zoomdownrotorswhirring]

His family is in our prayers, and may God prosper his line.

[microgood]

The price of freedom is extremely high. It is hard to lose your bravest men, and when you do pray that there are those who will take their place.

I pray for the pilot and the aviator that survived.

[patlin]

Prayers & God's Grace & Peace to the families, friends & troops.

There has been nothing on the local news so far. I'll keep an ear and eye out for news from SD.

[TChad]

The search was suspended -- ?

Wermers and the student tried to stay afloat. After a couple hours of swimming, the student was rescued and taken to a local hospital, but Wermers' body still hasn't been found.

From here:

http://www.fox10tv.com/dpp/news/local_news/pensacola/search-for-nas-pilot-suspended

[Chgogal]

Prayers up for our Navy Fly Boys and their families.

[El Gato]

Funny they had no trouble releasing the name of the F/A-18 pilot who managed to put his bird into someone's house, killing a child, the mother and grandmother. He was headed into Miramar MCAS because he had engine problems and they though that better than trying to put it back on the boat.

Unfortunately the approach from the west has gotten pretty cluttered with housing developments, businesses and such. Perhaps another field, like North Island, Imperial Beach, or Camp Pendleton would have been better choices for a sick bird, although their runway are shorter than Miramar's. He did try to put it in a "greenbelt" type of area, but just missed it. He punched out and survived.

[patlin]

From our local news: Missing Navy Pilot From Mt. Vernon

http://www.keloland.com/NewsDetail6162.cfm?Id=95716

We just got home & this is the 1st news. It must have came out right after we left for the granddaughters.