Air Force Pilot Training T-38 Jet Plane Crashes in Del Rio, One Pilot Dead and Another Injured

By: Ricardo E. Calderon, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2017

A United States Air Force T-38 Jet Plane used for training new pilots crashed in northern Del Rio, Val Verde County, Texas on Monday, November 20, 2017, killing one pilot and injuring another pilot, announced Val Verde County Sheriff Joe Frank Martinez.

The T-38 Jet Plane was on a training mission from Laughlin Air Force Base, one of four pilot training bases in the United States, when it crashed on November 20th between two residential subdivisions near Lake Amistad Reservoir National Park in Del Rio, Texas.

One pilot was able to eject from the airplane and deploy his emergency parachute, surviving the plane crash while suffering minor injuries.  The pilot of the plane was unable to eject and died at the plane crash site.

The injured pilot, whose name has not been released, was transported to the Val Verde Regional Medical Center in Del Rio for medical treatment and was later released.  The name of the deceased pilot has also not been released yet by the U. S. Air Force.

Residents of the two subdivisions immediately called the Val Verde County Sheriff’s Department to report the plane crash to authorities. One deer hunter sitting on a blind saw the pilot who parachuted out of the airplane land on the ground.

Laughlin Air Force Base has grounded all T-38 planes to allow time for the family, friends, instructors, and other pilots in training time to grieve and mourn the death of the deceased pilot.  The U.S. Air Force is providing support to the family of the deceased pilot and all the people of the 47th Training Wing at Laughlin Air Force Base. 

Laughlin Air Force Base is scheduled to resume training of its pilot students on Monday, Novemer 27th.

The plane crash is under investigation by the U.S. Air Force and other federal agencies.