US Air Force jet crashes after training ‘mishap’ with two pilots eject | World | News
Two pilots were safely ejected from a U.S. Air Force T-38 Talon II aircraft during a training flight on Tuesday, according to a statement from Columbus Air Force Base.
The plane crashed in the woods of Alabama’s Lamar County, near the Mississippi border.
ABC reporter Austin Pratt, who was at the scene, said both pilots were transported to a medical facility and evaluated by medical personnel.
The statement made by the base included the following statements: “The cause of the accident is currently unknown and will be investigated by the Safety Investigation Board.”
Columbus Air Force Base is home to Air Education and Training Command’s 19th Air Force’s 14th Flight Training Wing.
The wing’s mission focuses on undergraduate pilot training specializing in T-6 Texan II, T-38C Talon and T-1A Jayhawk aircraft.
The incident followed a daring U.S. rescue mission to rescue the crew of F-15E Strike Eagle “Dude 44” that crashed in the rugged terrain of southwestern Iran.
After the plane was hit by a shoulder-launched missile, the pilot and weapons system officer were forced to jettison into enemy territory before they were captured by Iranian forces, triggering a mission to bring them home.
In the high-risk operation, U.S. Special Operations forces and CIA officers worked together to locate the airmen in the mountains of Isfahan province.
While the pilot was quickly captured, the weapons system officer spent a harrowing 24 hours evading capture in a mountain crevice before retreating under heavy fire.
