The US Air Force has grounded its fleet of T-38 Talon training jets following a crash in rural west Alabama that forced two pilots to eject. The mishap occurred around midday on May 12, 2026, during a flight from Columbus Air Force Base in Mississippi, which operates the T-38 as part of its undergraduate pilot training mission under the 14th Flying Training Wing.
According to Columbus AFB, both aircrew members ejected safely before the aircraft went down in Lamar County, near the Fayette–Lamar county line off Raspberry Road. The service has released no details on the pilots’ identities or medical status beyond confirming they survived the ejection.
The cause of the accident remains unknown. A Safety Investigation Board has been convened to determine what led to the crash, a standard procedure after serious Air Force aviation mishaps. As a precautionary measure while investigators review technical, human, and environmental factors, the Air Force has ordered a stand-down of T-38 operations across the fleet.
Columbus AFB is one of several bases that use the supersonic T-38 for advanced and lead-in fighter training, typically with an instructor and student on board and no weapons carried. The grounding is expected to temporarily disrupt training schedules as the service assesses whether any systemic issues contributed to the Alabama incident.