Hanlon, who commissioned in the Navy from Arizona State University in May 2017, reported to VAW-120 Jan. 31, 2021.
"It takes a courageous and patriotic person to devote their life to the selflessness of serving in the armed forces,” said Cmdr. Martin Fentress Jr., commanding officer of VAW-120 “Hyrum embodied those characteristics and will be truly missed by his family and the Hawkeye community. We sincerely appreciate the public respecting the family’s privacy during this difficult time as they mourn his loss.”
The Navy continues to coordinate with state and local officials on the salvage planning efforts of the E-2D aircraft, which crashed at around 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. The plane was reportedly conducting routine flight operations in the vicinity of Wallops Island when it went down.
The Navy said the health and safety of the local community is a top priority during recovery efforts; overflight aircraft confirmed no pollution or discharge of fuel in the area. Salvage operations are expected to proceed in accordance with standard procedures which consider all environmental impacts.
Two other crew members were rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard while Hanlon was found dead inside the aircraft. The two surviving crew members suffered non-life-threatening injuries, the Navy said.
Meanwhile, WBOC is getting our first look at the crash site.
The above photos of the site were taken today by Captain Dan's Around the Island Tour. The top of the plane can be seen sticking out of what WBOC has been told is about 4 feet of water.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.