OVIEDO, Fla. — The U.S. Air Force has identified all eight of the pilots who died when a CV-22 Osprey military aircraft crashed during a training mission near Japan in November. One of those pilots was from Central Florida.
Zachary Lavoy, 33, was a medical operations flight chief from Oviedo, a city 18 miles northeast of Orlando. He was assigned to 1st Special Operations Squadron, 353rd Special Operations Wing.
At a news conference on Tuesday, a spokesman for the Air Force said that they've recovered the remains of three of the servicemen and located an additional three. The recovery of the two remaining soldiers, as well as the removal of debris from the crash site, are still in progress, as is the investigation into what caused the crash.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III released a statement saying he was saddened by the loss of life.
"The entire Department of Defense mourns alongside the families and the loved ones of those who lost their lives today in the service of their country," Austin said, "My heart also goes out to those who were serving alongside these brave men and women in Japan."
Lavoy's mother, Ella mourned her son publicly in a Facebook post. "A great shining light has ceased to exist," she said.
The America-made Osprey aircraft has had a number of crashes, including in Japan, where it is used at U.S. and Japanese military bases, and the latest has rekindled safety concerns.
Japan has suspended all flights of its own fleet of 14 Ospreys. Japanese officials say they have asked the U.S. military to resume Osprey flights only after ensuring their safety.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
