U.S. Navy T-45 Goshawks Collide in Mid-air; Pilots of one Eject, Another Lands Safely

A U.S. Navy instructor and a trainee pilot safely ejected from a mid-air collision involving two T-45 Goshawk trainer aircraft while the pilot of another aircraft landed safely.

The incident occurred on Monday after departing Naval Air Station Kingsville, Texas. Naval Air Training Command reported on its social media page that two T-45 Goshawk planes of the Navy and Marine Corps training squadron VT-22 at Naval Air Station Kingsville collided in mid-air in [over] Ricardo, Texas, at approximately 11:00 CST.

"One aircraft was able to safely land at NAS Kingsville, Texas, and the other aircraft's instructor and student pilot safely ejected," the command said.

The two who ejected were taken to nearby Christus Spohn Kleberg hospital, a civilian hospital, conscious and with non-life-threatening injuries.

Their crashed aircraft was found on an area ranch, and was secured by emergency crews and hazmat teams of the Navy and by fire rescue personnel and sheriffs of Kleberg County, Texas. Witnesses reported explosions and two large fireballs in the air, KRIS-TV, Corpus Christi, said.

Built by Boeing and BAE Systems, the T-45 Goshawk is a tandem-seat jet trainer, used since 1991 to train Navy and Marine Corps pilots on tactical strike missions and take-off, landing on aircraft carriers.