The US Navy reported that a T-34C Turbomentor crashed in the Gulf of Mexico last Thursday:
A U.S. Navy T-34C Turbo Mentor aircraft assigned to Training Squadron 28 (VT-28) with two pilots aboard crashed today while conducting a routine training mission over the Gulf of Mexico…
The T-34 does not have ejection seats; instead, Read more
The report on the T-34 crash that occurred in New Orleans in January 2010 says the incident, in which the instructor pilot was killed, could have been prevented.
According to the Navy Times, the aircraft descended below required minimums without visually acquiring the runway. The aircraft then impacted the water. Both crewmembers climbed out; they didn’t have water survival gear. They became separated, and the instructor pilot’s body was found a few days later. The student Read more
The Air Force already retired the T-37B Tweet and is flying the T-6A Texan II as its primary introductory flight trainer. The T-6 was the result of a “joint” program between the Air Force and Navy. The Navy has been transitioning from its T-34C Turbomentor to the Navy version of the trainer, the T-6B.
An article at the Navy Times notes the T-6 is a huge leap from the earlier T-34 — even sporting ejection seats. Distressed pilots in the T-34 had to manually jump over the side if they needed to exit the aircraft in flight, a la WWII.
The old marching tune that “there are no fighter pilots in [any of the services but the Air Force]” isn’t entirely true (though the Navy calls theirs “aviators,” since “pilots” drive the boat). However, in the short term, the Navy is having some issues creating pilots:
With hundreds of newly commissioned officers waiting to start flight training in Pensacola, Fla., the Navy is urging potential aviators to transfer into other communities or take temporary internships in Washington.
Apparently, aircraft issues (maintenance) have reduced the number of available aircraft, thus reducing the size of the Navy’s flight school pipeline. But that’s not the only Read more
The US Navy has indicated that the instructor pilot from the crashed T-34C training aircraft, Lt. Clinton Wermers, is now presumed dead. The student was rescued the night of the crash and has not yet been identified. Initial reports had indicated that both pilots were holding on to the wreckage before it sank.
A comment left on the CNN article on this story indicated that Wermers was a married father of two, and was expecting a third child.
The T-34C is a Navy primary training aircraft used to teach new student pilots. The two-seat, single engine aircraft does not have ejection seats, but requires aircrew to manually bail out in emergencies. The T-34C is slated to be replaced by the T-6A Texan II.
A Navy T-34 has crashed while on a training mission in Louisiana. The initial headline was “One Dead, One Missing” from the two-man crew, though the article itself contradicted the headline and said one pilot had been rescued, and another was missing. Initial reports were that the plane crash landed in the lake, with both pilots clinging to the plane before it sank.