Two US Air Force pilots ejected safely before a T-38 training jet crashed in rural Alabama on May 12, 2026, during a flight from Columbus Air Force Base in Mississippi.
The aircraft was involved in what the Air Force described as a “mishap” at about noon local time, according to Columbus AFB. The base said the cause of the crash remains unknown and will be investigated by a Safety Investigation Board.
The Air Force did not immediately release the names of the pilots or provide further details about their condition, other than to say they ejected safely. The aircraft was assigned to Columbus AFB, which is home to the 14th Flying Training Wing.
Local reports placed the crash in west Alabama near the Fayette County and Lamar County area. WBRC reported that the crash site was in Lamar County off Raspberry Road, close to the Fayette County line.
Columbus AFB is part of Air Education and Training Command and conducts undergraduate pilot training for future US Air Force pilots. The 14th Flying Training Wing operates several training aircraft, including the T-6 Texan II, T-38 and T-1A Jayhawk.
The Northrop T-38 Talon is a twin-engine, supersonic jet trainer used to prepare pilots for fighter and bomber aircraft. The type first entered US Air Force service in the early 1960s and remains a core part of the service’s pilot training pipeline.
The crash comes as the Air Force continues preparing to replace the T-38 with the Boeing T-7A Red Hawk, its next-generation advanced jet trainer. The T-7A is intended to modernize fighter and bomber pilot training after more than six decades of T-38 operations.
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