Marine Capt. Kelly C. Hinz

Died May 2, 2005 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

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30, of Woodbury, Minn.; assigned to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 323, Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif.; embarked aboard the aircraft carrier Carl Vinson killed May 2 when the F/A-18 Hornet aircraft he was piloting crashed in Iraq while flying in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

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Minn. native killed in Iraq plane crash

By Amy Forliti

Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS — Before Capt. Kelly Hinz took his last flight with the Marine Corps, he sent his brother an e-mail with an important message.

“He wanted to make sure that we had flowers sent to his wife, Molly, for Mother’s Day, and some for Mom, because my dad always sent her flowers,” Hinz’s brother, Ben, said Thursday, choking up. “He was definitely devoted to his family.”

Hinz and another pilot died Monday when their single-seat F/A-18 Hornet jets collided over south-central Iraq, according to information from the family and authorities. The two men were based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego.

Hinz, 30 had been living in San Diego with his wife, Molly, and their 7-month-old daughter, Abby.

Hinz’s death comes nearly one year after his father, former Navy pilot Donald Hinz, died when a World War II-era plane he was flying made an emergency landing during an air show in Wisconsin.

Donald Hinz’s love for flying was catching. Kelly, the oldest of four boys, became a private pilot and then entered the Marines; Ben, the next son in line, is also a Marines fighter pilot based at Miramar; Kurt, the third brother, has his private license: and Luke was planning to get his license this summer, said Ben Hinz.

“Although Dad never forced it, it was just there. It was just a part of our life,” said Ben Hinz, 27. He said holidays and family get-togethers often revolved around flying.

The four Hinz brothers all attended St. Thomas Academy, a military prep school in Mendota Heights. Kelly Hinz graduated from the high school in 1993, and officials there still remember his dedication to community service and to his family.

“He had the utmost respect for his father, Don, and I’m not at all surprised that he went into aviation,” said Jack Zahr, the school’s director of athletics and activities. “He was the kind of person that you knew was going to be successful in whatever he chose to do.”

During his senior year, Hinz was a member of the state champion alpine ski team. He also participated in a religious group, was a member of the honor guard and volunteered for the Meals on Wheels program. After graduation, he came back to work as an assistant coach on the team.

Hinz attended the University of Colorado at Boulder from 1993-94 as a mechanical engineering major, the school said. In 1995, he went to the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, where he earned a degree in business administration with an emphasis in entrepreneurship in 1997.

He entered the military in July 1996 and joined his current unit on Sept. 3, 2003. He received awards including the Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation Ribbon, the National Defense Service Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, according to Sgt. Joshua Stueve of Marine Corps Air Station Miramar.

A statement from the family said Hinz and another pilot, identified by authorities as Maj. John C. Spahr, 42, of Cherry Hill, N.J., died Monday when their single-seat F/A-18 Hornet jets collided.

Authorities said the planes had launched from the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson and lost contact with communications Monday night. A statement by Central Command said there was no indication of hostile fire at the time.

The Hinz family said initial reports suggest a sandstorm and lightning may have led to the collision.