Navy Launches Probe After T-6B Trainer Goes Down in Alabama
A Navy flight instructor and a student pilot successfully ejected, according to reports.
Student naval aviators conduct a formation flight in T-6B Texan II aircraft. [Credit: U.S. Navy]
The U.S. Navy launched an investigation Tuesday after two pilots ejected from a T-6B Texan II trainer that went down in Alabama, according to reports.
The tandem-seat turboprop was assigned to Training Air Wing Five, which is based at Naval Air Station Whiting Field near Milton, Florida. A Navy instructor pilot and a student aviator were onboard the aircraft at the time of the accident, Military.com reported.
The January 17 incident occurred about 45 miles away, around 10:50 a.m. CST near Barin Naval Outlying Field near Foley, Alabama, Navy officials said.
According to local reports, the aircraft went down in a heavily wooded area about three miles away from where the pilots landed after ejecting.
“The pilots successfully ejected from the aircraft and are in the process of receiving medical attention for potential injuries," a Navy spokesperson told U.S. Naval Institute (USNI) News Tuesday. "No other injuries have been reported at this time. The cause of the incident is under investigation.”
In 2020, a Navy flight instructor and a student pilot were killed when their T-6 Texan II crashed in a residential neighborhood in Alabama.
About 60 percent of all Naval aviation training is performed at the 12,000-acre air station, making it among the busiest in the world, according to the Navy. Training Air Wing Five has a fleet of 142 T-6 Texan II aircraft and 112 TH-57 helicopters.
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