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Air Force Captain from metro Detroit among those killed in training flight crash

Posted at 12:11 PM, Mar 16, 2017
and last updated 2017-03-16 17:26:21-04

The Air Force has released the identities of three service members killed Tuesday night in the crash of a reconnaissance and surveillance plane during a training flight in New Mexico.

Cannon Air Force Base officials say the 33-year-old pilot, Capt. Andrew Becker from Novi, Michigan, 29-year-old Capt. Kenneth Dalga from Goldsboro, North Carolina, and 26-year-old co-pilot, 1st Lt. Frederick Dellecker from Daytona Beach, Florida, were killed. Dalga was a combat systems officer.

All three were assigned to the 318th Special Operations Squadron at Cannon.

The cause of the single-engine U-28A's crash near the Clovis Municipal Airport is under investigation.

Col. Ben Matire, commander of the 27th Special Operations Wing, says the unit's thoughts and prayers are with families and friends of those killed.