One Air Force pilot was killed and two were injured Friday in a deadly “aircraft mishap” at a base in Texas.
According to the Air Force, two T-38 aircraft were involved in an accident on a runway around 10 a.m. Friday at Laughlin Air Force Base in Texas, east of the border city of Del Rio.
The pilot killed was identified Sunday as 2nd Lt. Anthony D Wentz, 23, a student pilot from Falcon, Colorado, with the 47th Student Squadron.
“A loss such as this affects us all, but one thing we never fail to do in times of crisis is come together, support one another, and respond,” Col. Craig Prather, commander of the training wing, said in a statement. “Our focus remains on supporting the families involved and our thoughts and prayers continue to be with them and our teammates today.”
One of the injured pilots was taken to a hospital in Del Rio, treated and released Friday. The other injured pilot was evacuated by air to the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio and was in critical condition as of Friday.
USA TODAY was unable to reach the 47th Flying Training Wing for additional updates.
“Our hearts, thoughts, and prayers are with our pilots involved in this mishap and their families,” Prather said.
The 47th Flying Training Wing has provided “undergraduate pilot training” for the U.S. Air Force, Air Force Reserve and the Air National Guard. According to the Air Force, the T-38 aircraft is a “high-altitude, supersonic jet trainer” primarily used for advanced pilot training. The aircraft needs as little as 2,300 feet of runway to take off and can reach speeds up to 812 mph.
