A T-38 Talon takes off March 23 from Sheppard AFB, Texas. Air Force photo by A1C Pedro Tenorio.
Two pilots safely ejected after a T-38 crashed Tuesday morning at Sheppard AFB, Texas?. The mishap is the fourth crash involving a T-38 in the last year.
The jet, assigned to the 80th Flying Training Wing at Sheppard, crashed upon takeoff at about 10:13 a.m. local time, according to a Sheppard release.
A German Air Force pilot was treated for “minor injuries” at the Sheppard Clinic, while a USAF pilot on temporary duty assignment from Vance AFB, Okla., was taken to United Regional Medical Center in Wichita Falls “as a precaution, and is reported to be in stable condition,” according to a base Twitter post.
“We are grateful both aircrew members are safe, and for the outstanding response for our fire, security, and medical personnel,” said Col. Lendy Renegar, 80th FTW vice commander in a Twitter post.
The 80th Flying Training Wing trains combat pilots from 14 nations as part of the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training program.
Flying operations at the base were paused, and the crash will be investigated, according to the base.
The Air Force’s Talon fleet has been plagued by multiple crashes recently, prompting multiple groundings of the training jet. A T-38 crashed on Aug. 17 near Vance AFB, Okla., and another in May near Columbus AFB, Miss. In both those mishaps, the pilots were able to safely eject. However, one pilot was killed and another injured in November 2017 when a T-38 crashed near Laughlin AFB, Texas.