14 DAY TRIAL // An Air Force general and his wife have been killed in a plane crash in Virginia, near Williamsburg, reports say.
Military.com identifies the victims as 54-year-old Maj. Gen. Joseph D. Brown IV and his wife, 52-year-old Susan D. Brown. Military Times details that the pair have crashed in a division of James City County.
The married couple had their dog with them on the single engine plane, and the pooch was also killed. The accident took place on Friday, April 19.
Air Force officials are yet to release the cause of the aircraft malfunction. Brown was flying a Cessna 210 when he crashed in the proximity of the Williamsburg-Jamestown Airport, at 4:53 p.m.
He was an experienced pilot with more than 4,300 flying hours on B-1 and B-2 aircrafts, gathered during 33 years of serving in the Air Force.
Brown was assigned the position of commandant of The Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy in Washington D.C. in October 2010.
He was assigned to the National Defense University in Washington and previously served in the U.S. Strategic Command at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska.
Air Force Secretary Michael Donley and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen Mark A. Welsh III have released a statement expressing their condolences to the families of the deceased, as well as honoring the work of Gen. Brown.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of Joe Brown and his wife, Sue. Our thoughts and prayers are with their family, friends, and the members of the National Defense University as they come to terms with the tragedy.
“Joe and Sue dedicated their lives in service to our nation and their loss will be felt across our Air Force and joint team,” they note.