ENID, Okla. — Two members of the military were killed Thursday at Vance Air Force Base during fighter pilot training exercise.
According to the Vance Air Force Base, two T-38 Talons each with two people on board were involved in the "mishap" that happened around 9:10 a.m.
At the time of the accident, the aircraft were performing a training mission.
Vance emergency response personnel were responding to the scene as of 12:30 p.m. to treat casualties and assist in recovery efforts.
Names of the deceased will be withheld pending next of kin notification.
A safety investigation team will investigate the incident.
The base is about 65 miles (105 kilometers) northwest of Oklahoma City, the T-38 Talon is a twin-engine, high-altitude, supersonic jet used in a variety of jet pilot training roles.
Maj. Carl Lamb of the Maine National Guard released a statement Thursday afternoon:
"Our hearts go out to the Airmen involved in the tragedy at Vance Air Force Base and to their families. All service members are our brothers and sisters and we grieve with those families today."
The Maine Air National Guard does send Airmen to Vance Air Force Base for training. At this time, we have not received any notification of the involvement of Maine service members in this incident.
