UPDATED: Navy Training Aircraft Crashes in Alabama, Pilots Ejected Safely

January 17, 2023 2:05 PM - Updated: January 17, 2023 4:25 PM
The last T-6B Texan II in production arrives at Naval Air Station (NAS) Corpus Christi on Feb. 1, 2018. US Navy Photo

A Navy training aircraft crashed in Alabama Tuesday morning, a service spokesperson told USNI News on Tuesday.

The two-seat T-6B Texan II flew from Naval Air Station Whiting Field, Fla., and went down near Gateswood, Ala., — about 45 miles away, a spokesperson confirmed to USNI News.

“At approximately 10:50 a.m. CST, two pilots ejected from a T-6B Texan II, assigned to Training Air Wing 5, in the vicinity of Barin Naval Outlying Field near Foley, Ala.,” the Navy said in a statement.
“The pilots successfully ejected from the aircraft and are in the process of receiving medical attention for potential injuries. No other injuries have been reported at this time. The cause of the incident is under investigation.”

The aircraft went down in a remote, unpopulated area, according to a Tuesday afternoon statement from the service.

TV station WKRG said local emergency services were called to assist.

“NAS Whiting Field has made contact with the Baldwin County Emergency Management Agency, which has responded to the scene, along with the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, Gateswood Volunteer Fire Department, and Robertsdale Fire Department,” reported the television station.

The T-6B Texan II is a tandem-seat, turboprop trainer used to train Navy and Marine Corps pilots in flight school.

“There are currently 245 Navy T-6Bs serving the Chief of Naval Air Training at NAS Whiting Field and NAS Corpus Christi, Texas,” according to the service.

In 2020, a Navy and a Coast Guard aviator died in a T-6B crash near Pensacola, Fla.

Sam LaGrone

Sam LaGrone

Sam LaGrone is the editor of USNI News. He has covered legislation, acquisition and operations for the Sea Services since 2009 and spent time underway with the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps and the Canadian Navy.
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