The US Air Force has halted activities of its entire T-38 Talon fleet following a crash involving an aircraft assigned to Columbus Air Force Base in Mississippi.
The US Air Force has halted activities of its entire T-38 Talon fleet following a crash involving an aircraft assigned to Columbus Air Force Base in Mississippi.
According to the service, the “fleet-wide operational pause” will allow investigators to examine evidence from the incident and ensure flight safety while the probe continues.
The move follows an accident in mid-May, during which a T-38 jet went down near the Alabama-Mississippi border during a routine training mission.
Two pilots involved in the mishap safely ejected from the planes and were later released from the hospital following treatment.
Grounding the fleet will affect T-38 operations across Air Education and Training Command, Air Combat Command, Air Force Materiel Command, and Air Force Global Strike Command, according to the military.
Officials assured that inspections will begin immediately, though they have not set a timeline for returning the fleet to service, as a platform may only resume flying after clearing inspections and completing associated maintenance.
During the stand-down, aircrews will rely on simulators to conduct rehearsals.
The T-38 Talon was introduced in the 1960s and remains a key capability for pilots learning to fly combat aircraft and bombers.
It will eventually be replaced by the T-7 Red Hawk trainer, which was approved for production earlier this month and is expected to begin preparing new operators in 2028.
