An Air Force T-38C Talon training aircraft crashed Wednesday at about 12:30 p.m. on Columbus AFB, Miss., killing two pilots aboard, according to a USAF release. Names of the pilots were being withheld pending notification of next of kin. According to report from WCBI-TV in Columbus, witnesses saw smoke rising from the base. The station also reported that other training aircraft aloft at the time were diverted to a nearby civilian airport.
Air Force Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, held meetings with defense leaders from the Philippines, Japan, and South Korea during a trip to the Indo-Pacific this week.