A T-45C Goshawk assigned to Training Air Wing One crashed in Mississippi and the two crew members on board ejected safely.
A U.S. Navy T-45C Goshawk training aircraft crashed on private farmland in Noxubee County, Mississippi, on May 26, 2026, at 12:30 PM CDT. The aircraft, assigned to Training Air Wing One (TW-1), crashed for reasons still unknown.
“Two personnel assigned to TW-1 aboard the aircraft safely ejected and are currently being evaluated at a local medical center,” the Naval Air Training Group (CNATRA) public affairs officer said in a statement, adding that local emergency responders and military emergency responders are currently on scene to secure the scene.
The cause of the incident is under investigation. Unconfirmed photos show what is believed to be the crash site, with some parts of the T-45, including wing components and tail hooks, clearly visible in a crater on the ground.
Online flight tracking confirms the T-45 lost its signal over Noksabee County, the same area mentioned by CNATRA in its statement. The aircraft bore the call sign “BOBCT62”, Bobcat being the call sign commonly associated with VT-9 Tigers, one of the TW-1 squadrons. It is currently not possible to confirm whether the tracked aircraft is actually the one that crashed.
The Meridian T-45C crashed and both pilots ejected safely. This was probably 165601 (BOBCT62).#AE62D8https://t.co/eSYff3c3Sy pic.twitter.com/k8yEpS01de
— Nick ✈︎ (@N214WN) May 26, 2026
The incident marks the second disappearance of a U.S. military trainee this month. Prior to this, on May 12, a U.S. Air Force T-38C Talon fighter jet deployed at Columbus Air Force Base in Mississippi crashed in western Alabama.
Similar to the T-45C accident, both pilots were able to eject safely before impact. The cause of the crash is currently unknown, and the Air Force announced May 19 that the T-38 was out of service, saying it would be investigated by the Safety Investigation Board.
accident rate
According to statistics released by the U.S. Naval Safety Command on May 26, 2026, the number of Class A accidents in FY 2026 was already the same as the number in FY2025. A total of 12 accidents were mentioned, including unmanned platforms such as the MQ-4C Triton lost in the Middle East.
Interestingly, the document also mentions that flight accidents have decreased from 11 to 5. On the other hand, aviation ground accidents increased rapidly from one to four.
Following the Growler crash and MH-60 shipboard hard landing, the Navy’s FY26 Class A accident total has already equaled FY25’s total. In particular, the in-flight accident rate has decreased https://t.co/TVcyzEKS6c pic.twitter.com/jin2658QyM
— Brian Everstein (@beverstine) May 26, 2026
Among the incidents contributing to the statistics is the recent loss of two EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft assigned to the Growler demonstration team of VAQ-129 “Vikings”. The jet was involved in a mid-air collision during the Gunslinger Sky airshow at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho, with all four crew members ejecting safely.
Following the incident, the Air Force ordered a safety standstill for four tactical air teams. In addition to the Growler demonstration team, there is a Rhino demonstration team consisting of F/A-18F Super Hornets assigned to VFA-122 “Flying Eagles” and VFA-106 “Gladiators”, and an F-35C demonstration team from VFA-125 “Rough Raiders”.
This is a developing story so further updates will be provided as more information becomes available.
