US embassy probing airman death in Jordan

AMMAN — The US embassy in Amman said on Monday it was looking into the cause of an accident that killed a US air force member in Jordan recently.

“A member of the US air force died in Jordan on April 15 from injuries sustained in an accident when extreme winds caused structural damage to the building in which the airman was working," the embassy spokesperson Eric Barbee told The Jordan Times on Monday. 

The US official said the airman was temporarily deployed to Jordan for joint training exercises with the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army (JAF).

His body has been repatriated to the US and an investigation into the cause of the accident was ongoing, Barbee said.

"We thank the JAF for their assistance and condolences following this tragedy," he said. 

The US officer was identified as Airman First Class Nathaniel H. McDavitt, 22, of Glen Burnie, Maryland, according to a statement posted on the website of the US Department of Defence, which indicated that the airman was supporting Operation Inherent Resolve. 

The Department of Defence said McDavitt died as a result of injuries sustained after the structural damage to the building in which he was working. 

Jordan and the US announced early this year that a US-Jordan Defence Support Law had been signed by US President Barack Obama to enhance Jordan’s military capacity. 

Jordan will receive $450 million in foreign military assistance from the US this year, making it the third largest recipient of such aid globally.