Around 10:00 AM local time, two T-38C Talons from Laughlin AFB, TX collided on the runway, resulting in the loss of one pilot and two others injured.
One of the injured is in critical condition and was airlifted to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio. The other aircraft was seen inverted on the ground.
According to an official media release from Laughlin AFB posted on their Facebook page, “One of the injured pilots was transported to Val Verde Regional Medical Center in Del Rio, Texas, where they were treated and released. The other pilot is in critical condition and was evacuated by air to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio.”
The accident, which appears to have occurred in close proximity to a runway at the installation based on photos circulated on social media, may have happened while the two aircraft were about to take off or land. No details have been officially released. An official accident investigation is underway.
The Air Force hasn’t disclosed information about the circumstances of the accident, which occurred around 10 a.m. and is under investigation.
Officials will withhold the airmen’s names until 24 hours after their families are contacted.
“Losing teammates is unbelievably painful, and it is with a heavy heart I express my sincere condolences,” wing commander Col. Craig Prather said in the release. “Our hearts, thoughts and prayers are with our pilots involved in this mishap and their families.”
Laughlin hosts the 47th Flying Training Wing, one of the service’s three hubs for teaching American airmen the basics of flight.
Nearly 3,000 employees run specialized undergraduate pilot training for around 500 students from the U.S. and allied countries each year using the T-1A Jayhawk, T-6A Texan II and T-38C Talon.
