Pilot killed in crash IDd

The Thunderbirds pilot killed in a fighter jet crash in central Nevada was an experienced aviator who had logged more than 3,500 flight hours. The Air Force identified the pilot as Maj. Stephen Del Bagno, who had joined the elite Thunderbirds team this season and was on a routine demonstration training flight when he was killed on Wednesday. He was alone in the F-16 Fighting Falcon when it departed from Nellis Air Force Base and crashed at the Nevada Test and Training Range at about 10:30 a.m. PT. (1:30 p.m. ET). Prior to joining the Thunderbirds, Del Bagno served as an F-35A Evaluator Pilot and Chief of Standardization and Evaluation, 58th Fighter Squadron, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. (Sources: multiple, 04/05/18) Previous