The US Navy reported that one of its trainers, a T-45C Goshawk, crashed on a training mission Sunday night:
The training aircraft, assigned to Training Squadron (VT) 21, crashed during a routine training mission over Brooks County. County first responders were immediately dispatched to the scene.
A Stars and Stripes report indicated the aircrew were actually Marine officers. The two ejected and were transported to the local hospital.
The crash Read more
The US Navy used its in-development Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) to launch an E-2D Hawkeye last week.
The upcoming Gerald R. Ford class of aircraft carriers will be the first that abandons the steam catapult for the EMALS, marking a significant change in naval aviation. To date, the EMALS has also launched F/A-18E Super Hornets, T-45 Goshawks, and the C-2A Greyhound.
The Navy posted videos of the launch, in which the traditional steam is noticeably absent, on YouTube.
A Naval aviator reportedly ejected from his T-45 Goshawk in southern Texas. The T-45 normally carries two, but the pilot was flying solo.
As with every other mishap, the Navy will investigate and a report will be available some months from now.