Two airmen were killed earlier today (May 1) when the T-38C trainer aircraft they were flying from Sheppard AFB, Tex., crashed, the base’s 82nd Training Wing public affairs said in a release. The aircraft, which was assigned to Sheppard’s 80th Flying Training Wing, went down about 7:45 a.m. local time. USAF is withholding the victims’ names pending notification of family. Additional information will be released as it becomes available, the statement said. The crash is the second fatal mishap involving a T-38C in nine days. On April 23, an instructor pilot and student pilot died when their T-38C crashed on initial takeoff at Columbus AFB, Miss.
A provision in the fiscal 2025 defense policy bill will require the Defense Department to include the military occupational specialty of service members who die by suicide in its annual report on suicide deaths, though it remains to be seen how much data the department will actually disclose.