Four Crew Members Safe After T-45C Midair Collision

An U.S. Navy T-45C Goshawk aircraft assigned to Training Squadron (VT) 22 launches from the flight deck of aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) in the Atlantic Ocean Sept. 30, 2014. *U.S. NAVY / Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Justin R. Pacheco*

ARLINGTON, Va. — Two U.S. Navy training jets collided in mid-air over Texas on May 17, but all four crew members survived.

Two T-45C Goshawk training jets assigned to Training Air Wing Two, collided over Ricardo, Texas, at approximately 11:00 am. Central Time, the chief of naval air training (CNATRA) said in a Facebook post. The pilots are assigned to Training Squadron 22, one of two T-45C squadrons based at Naval Air Station Kingsville, Texas.

“One aircraft was able to safely land at Naval Air Station Kingsville, Texas, and the other aircraft’s instructor and student pilot safely ejected about nine miles south of Kingsville in Ricardo, Texas,” CNATRA said. “One pilot was taken to CHRISTUS Spohn Hospital Kleberg for minor injuries. The incident is currently under investigation and the U.S. Navy is cooperating fully with local authorities.”

The T-45Cs were part of a three-plane formation flight.

According to an unofficial count, a total of 31 T-45s of 222 built have been lost in mishaps since the type began service in 1991, an average of one per year.