Two pilots are confirmed dead in the crash of two U.S. Air Force T-38 Talon jet trainers were involved in a mishap at Vance Air Force Base in Oklahoma.
The service has said that four pilots were involved in the accident and that two have died, but the condition of the other two individuals is unclear.
So far, there are no specifics about exactly what happened, but live feeds from local news outlets show that both jets departed a runway at Vance and that one of them flipped over entirely during the accident.
A photo posted on the Enid News & Eagle website showed one T-38 Talon II lying upside down with significant damage on what appears to be a runway.
Live video feed from the KOCO 5 News helicopter showed a second T-38 Talon II stopped on its landing gear with both canopies open.
BREAKING | AIRCRAFT ‘MISHAP’ AT VANCE AFB: Two aircraft are involved in what authorities are calling a “mishap” at Vance Air Force Base in Enid, Oklahoma. Here’s what we know at this time: https://t.co/b9fn3TUAqs #KOCO5 #BreakingNews https://t.co/uBP8TfLnrP
— koconews (@koconews) November 21, 2019
Following the accident, a flight restriction of 5 miles and 5,000 feet was imposed on the area.
The Vance AFB Facebook page posted an update that said, “At the time of the accident, the aircraft were performing a routine training mission”. The social media news release went on to say, “There were two people on board each aircraft”.
#VanceUpdates pic.twitter.com/9PCKN4dqKa
— Vance AFB (@71FTW) November 21, 2019
“At the time of the accident, the aircraft were performing a routine training mission. There were two people on board each aircraft,” an initial press release from Vance’s public affairs office read. “Vance emergency response personnel are on scene to treat casualties and assist in recovery efforts.”
“Two Vance Air Force Base Airmen were killed in an aircraft mishap at approximately 9:10 a.m. today. At the time of the accident, the aircraft were performing a training mission,” a second release stated. “Vance emergency response personnel are on scene to treat casualties and assist in recovery efforts. Names of the deceased will be withheld pending next of kin notification. A safety investigation team will investigate the incident.”
An investigation will be launched to determine the cause of the crash.
Emergency responders from Vance Air Force Base are at the crash scene to treat casualties and help with recovery efforts.
We don’t know what units the aircraft were assigned to, but the base is home to the 71st Flying Training Wing, which includes multiple squadrons that fly the T-38, as well as other aircraft.
