COLUMBUS, Miss. (AP) — The Air Force says two pilots died when their training jet crashed at Columbus Air Force Base in Mississippi.
A news release from the base says the T-38C Talon crashed about 12:30 p.m. Wednesday. The names of the pilots have been withheld until relatives are notified.
WCBI-TV in Columbus reports witnesses saw a large plume of smoke coming from the base. The runways were closed and some other Air Force planes were diverted to nearby Golden Triangle Regional Airport, which usually handles commercial flights.
This is the third plane from the base to crash since January 2007, but it is the first accident that caused deaths.