Two airmen were killed Thursday morning in what officials called an “aircraft mishap” involving two trainer jets at a US Air Force base in Oklahoma, according to a report.
The two T-38 Talons, each carrying two crew members, were being flown in a routine training mission at Vance Air Force Base in Enid when the accident occurred about 9 a.m., according to the Air Force Times.
The names of the deceased were being withheld pending notification of their next of kin. The accident remains under investigation.
Images shown in local TV news outlets showed one aircraft upside down on grass along a runway and the other upright on the runway.
“We are saddened by the tragic news of the loss of life of two pilots at Vance Air Force Base this morning. My thoughts and prayers are with the pilots’ families and the team at Vance,” Gov. Kevin Stitt said in a statement.
“Today serves as a reminder that our nation’s military make great sacrifices and put their lives on the line everyday to protect our nation. I spoke with the Wing Commander at Vance AFB to communicate the state will offer support in any possible way during this time.”
Vance is home to the 71st Flying Training Wing, which flies the T-1A Jayhawk, the T-6A Texan II, and the T-38 — a two-seat supersonic jet — to train hundreds of pilots each year.
The last serious incident involving an aircraft from Vance occurred on Aug. 17, 2018, when an instructor pilot was forced to eject about 50 miles west of the base, according to the Enid News. The pilot, who was the only person aboard, was not seriously hurt.
In 2000, Ensign Kristopher Krohne, 24, of San Diego, a Navy Reserve pilot, was killed during a training flight at Vance when the T-37 jet he was flying crashed about a mile from the runway, the news outlet reported.