The U.S. Air Force said Sunday the two people killed in a military plane crash in Alabama were a flying instructor and a pilot of the Japanese Air Defense Force.
The Air Force has announced the name of the instructor who died when the T-38C Talon trainer plane crashed near Montgomery on Friday. He was identified as Scot Ames Jr., a 24-year-old instructor pilot in the 50th Flying Training Squadron at Columbus Air Force Base in Mississippi. He was from Pekin, Indiana.
A T-38C Talon similar to this crashed on May 1 at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas.
(US Air Force photo / Steve White)
The name of the student pilot is currently not disclosed and will be provided according to the Japan process.
The Columbus Air Force Base is home to the 14th Flying Training Wing. The wing’s mission is specialized undergraduate pilot training.
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“We are a close-knit family and the loss of two of our teammates affects us all,” said Col. Seth Graham, 14th Flying Training Wing commander, said at a press conference on Saturday.
“The strength of our bond is what will help us get it through. My thoughts and prayers are with their families, friends and our teammates today.”
The cause of the incident is being investigated. The pilots flew a training mission. The jet crashed near Dannelly Field in Montgomery at about 5.30pm on Friday.
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Marshall Taggart, executive director of Montgomery Regional Airport, told news outlets that the plane crashed in a wooded area near the airport. Taggart said there are houses in the area, but the jet did not hit any structures.
Associated Press contributed to this report.