A T-53A aircraft sustained damage when it crashed into a hangar upon landing at the Air Force Academy airfield, announced academy officials. Neither of the two crewmembers suffered injuries in the Oct. 1 mishap, but the hangar was also damaged, according to the Oct. 2 academy release. A board of officers will investigate the accident, and the officials said the academy would release additional details as they become available. The T-53 is a primary flight trainer assigned to the academy’s 306th Flying Training Group. The school purchased a fleet of 25 T-53s last year.
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.