Two pilots died when a military training plane crashed near Montgomery Regional Airport in Alabama on Friday, officials said.
Marshall J. Taggart Jr., executive director of the airport, said the airport was informed of the crash in an adjacent, wooded area around 5:05 p.m.
The T-38 coach was based on the 14th Flight Training Wing at Columbus Air Force Base in Mississippi, the U.S. Air Force said in a statement. Taggart said he believes the plane was flying to a base in Tallahassee, Florida.
“The pilots flew a training mission during the incident,” the air force said.
The identity of the deceased was not immediately disclosed.
“There are no words that can describe the sadness that accompanies the loss of our teammates,” said Col. Seth Graham, commander of the 14th Flying Training Wing, said in an updated statement from the Air Force on Friday night.
The Montgomery airport borders an air force facility known as Dannelly Field, home of the 187th Alabama Air National Guard fighter wing. It is not clear if a pilot tried to land there.
A safety investigation board will meet to investigate the crash, the air force said.
The Montgomery County Emergency Management Agency has asked residents to stay away from the area Friday night.
Taggart said the crash did not change the arrival and departure schedule at the airport.
