Marine killed in jet crash near Twentynine Palms ID'd as Arcadia man

TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. (KABC) -- A wing pilot in the U.S. Marine Corps who was killed in a fighter jet crash during a training mission at Twentynine Palms this week was identified Saturday as a 36-year-old Arcadia man.

Maj. Richard Norton's twin-engine Hornet crashed during a close-air support mission near Twentynine Palms at about 10:30 p.m. Thursday.

Norton joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 2005 and had been deployed to Afghanistan in 2012 and Japan multiple times.

He earned multiple awards that included the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with a gold star.

The FA-18C Hornet was part of the Third Marine Aircraft Wing, based out of Marine Corps Air Station Miramar.

The cause of the crash remained under investigation.