US Navy identifies 3 sailors killed in plane crash in Philippine Sea

The US Navy has identified the three sailors from USS ‘Ronald Reagan’ who were killed Wednesday in a C-2A Greyhound crash. The incident occured about 500 nautical miles southwest of Okinawa. The victims were identified as Lt. Steven Combs; Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Equipment) Airman Matthew Chialastri; and Aviation Ordnanceman Airman Apprentice Bryan Grosso. “The thoughts and prayers of the entire team onboard Ronald Reagan go out to the families and friends of our fallen shipmates,” Capt. Michael Wosje, Commander, Carrier Air Wing Five, said in a statement on Saturday. Eight of the 11 crew and passengers were rescued from the crash, but the search for the missing three sailors was called off on Friday after American and Japanese forces had scoured nearly 1,000 square nautical miles of the Philippine Sea. The cause of the crash is under investigation.