The student and instructor pilot in a T-6A Texan II trainer overshot a landing traffic entry pattern and failed to see a second T-6A with two onboard, thereby causing the midair collision of both airplanes last November, the Air Force said in a March 19 release on the findings of the board that investigated the incident. “The cause of this mishap was a result of pilot error,” USAF said. The accident occurred Nov. 28, 2007 near Gunshy Auxiliary Field, Miss., and resulted in the total loss of both aircraft. All four pilots sustained superficial burns and abrasions upon ejecting from the two airplanes.
As Air Force leaders consider concepts of operations for Collaborative Combat Aircraft, sustainment in the field—and easing that support by using standard parts and limiting variants—should be a key consideration, according to a new study from AFA's Mitchell Institute of Aerospace Studies.