LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Clark County officials have identified the pilot killed in a jet crash near Nellis Air Force Base on Monday.
The pilot was identified as Nicholas Hunter Hamilton, 43, of Las Vegas.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Hamilton’s family and friends at this difficult time,” officials wrote in a statement.
The incident happened around 2:30 p.m. near Washington and Nellis, and now more than a day later, several streets in the neighborhood remain closed.
Neighbors are now realizing how lucky they are that this didn’t hurt more people.
On Tuesday afternoon, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said investigators have been dispatched to the scene. they will collect evidence such as measurements, photos and witness interviews.
The aircraft crashed in a neighborhood close to a park and an elementary school.
Roger Madec, a 22-year Air Force veteran who was stationed at Nellis at one point, says he knew something was wrong with this aircraft when it flew over his home.
“That one didn’t sound good when it went over. It sounded like could have been an engine problem. Anything could have happened,” Madec said.
“Like I said, being retired military, I know a lot of aircraft. I have been around a lot of airplanes,” he said.
Madec said the crash was scary, and he knows it could have been much worse.
He said he believes the pilot might have been trying to go for the nearby park to possibly avoid homes in the area.
He is curious — like many others in this neighborhood — to know what exactly went wrong.
But that information won’t come for some time.
This is just the start of a lengthy investigation, and the NTSB said we won’t know what caused this jet to crash for a year or two.
The contracted plane was a Dassault Aviation Mirage F-1. Hamilton was the sole occupant.
Several funds have been created to help Hamilton’s family during this difficult time. Nonprofit The Fallen Wings Foundation set up a memorial fund with the permission of the family. Click here to donate. A GoFundMe page was also created separately here.
