Navy

Two Navy Training Jets Collide Over Texas

U.S. Navy

Two U.S. Navy T-45 Goshawk training jets collided in mid-air over Texas Monday morning. According to a Navy report, no one was seriously injured.

The incident occurred over Ricardo at about 11:00 a.m., about nine miles south of the Naval Airstation Kingsville, according to a social media post on the Chief of Naval Air Training’s social media accounts.

“One aircraft was able to safely land at Naval Air Station Kingsville, Texas, and the other aircraft’s instructor and student pilot safely ejected about nine miles south of Kingsville in Ricardo, Texas. One pilot was taken to CHRISTUS Spohn Hospital Kleberg for minor injuries. The incident is currently under investigation and the U.S. Navy is cooperating fully with local authorities,” the Navy said in a statement.

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Two U.S. Navy T-45 Goshawk training jets collided in mid-air over Texas Monday morning. According to a Navy report, no one was seriously injured.

The incident occurred over Ricardo at about 11:00 a.m., about nine miles south of the Naval Airstation Kingsville, according to a social media post on the Chief of Naval Air Training’s social media accounts.

“One aircraft was able to safely land at Naval Air Station Kingsville, Texas, and the other aircraft’s instructor and student pilot safely ejected about nine miles south of Kingsville in Ricardo, Texas. One pilot was taken to CHRISTUS Spohn Hospital Kleberg for minor injuries. The incident is currently under investigation and the U.S. Navy is cooperating fully with local authorities,” the Navy said in a statement.

U.S. Navy T-45 Goshawks are the training aircraft for all naval aviators. (U.S. Navy)

The Navy Times reported that the crash is under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

FAA has asked the public to “not attempt to move or touch any aircraft debris,” and to call 361-516-6303 to report if they find any of the aircraft debris. 

The two aircraft involved in the collision were from Training Squadron 22 (VT-22), the “Golden Eagles,” part of Training Air Wing Two. The squadron website describes it as “the premier U.S. Navy and Marine Corps strike training squadron.”

The squadron trains pilots for both the Navy and Marine Corps. After graduation, the pilots will transition to F/A-18 Hornet or F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, EA-18G Growler, AV-8B Harrier II, E-2 Hawkeye, and C-2A Greyhound aircraft.

Monday’s collision follows the crash of another T-45 Goshawk during a training flight three miles northeast of Naval Auxiliary Landing Field Orange Grove (NOG/KNOG), Orange Groove, Texas, in March.

In that incident, the student and instructor were able to safely eject. They only sustained minor injuries.

A fatal T-45 crash had occurred in October 2017, when pilot Lt. Patrick Lawrence Ruth and student aviator Lt. j.g. Wallace Eugene Burch crashed their T-45 near Tellico Plains, Tennesse. The Navy investigation after the crash found that aggressive and unsafe behaviors, including thrill-seeking maneuvers at low altitudes, were the cause of the crash.

About Steve Balestrieri View All Posts

Steve is a SOFREP Senior Editor. He has served as a Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer before injuries forced his early separation. He writes for SOFREP and covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and his work was regularly featured in the Millbury-Sutton Chronicle and Grafton News newspapers.

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