Civilian crew chiefs perform their final
preflight checks on a T-38 Talon prior to launch at Whiteman Air Force
Base, Mo. The T-38 Talon Twin-Jet High-Altitude Supersonic Trainer is a
vital tool used by pilots at Whiteman AFB.
BISON, Okla.
A T-38 that had just taken off from Vance Air Force Base Wednesday morning lost its front canopy about 10 miles south of the airfield.
The canopy was located at 8:45 a.m. Thursday, June 25, 2015, thanks to an Oklahoma Highway Patrol helicopter pressed into the search, said Linda Frost, public affairs chief at Vance. The four-foot long, clear Plexiglas canopy was located a half-mile north of Bison Road between Cleveland and Oakwood.
The jet was flown by two instructor pilots on an instrument flight bound for Topeka, Kan. When the aircraft lost its canopy at about 10,000 feet, the pilots declared an in-flight emergency and returned immediately to the airfield, where they landed safely, Frost said.
The crew was met by a flight surgeon, but neither pilot required any medical attention.
Vance maintenance and safety personnel searched for the canopy all day Wednesday, with no success. Late Wednesday the OHP volunteered its assistance, and the search resumed Thursday morning.
The canopy landed in an open area and caused no damage on the ground. It has been returned to Vance. The Vance Safety office will investigate the incident.
As with all aircraft operating out of Vance, this one was given a thorough preflight maintenance inspection before it took off, Frost said.
The last lost canopy from a T-38 at Vance occurred in 2010, said Frost. In 2012 a T-6 lost its canopy. Both aircraft returned safely to Vance.
The T-38 is a twin-engine, high-altitude, supersonic jet trainer. It has been service since 1959. The first T-38 arrived at Vance in April 1963.
A T-38 that had just taken off from Vance Air Force Base Wednesday morning lost its front canopy about 10 miles south of the airfield.
The canopy was located at 8:45 a.m. Thursday, June 25, 2015, thanks to an Oklahoma Highway Patrol helicopter pressed into the search, said Linda Frost, public affairs chief at Vance. The four-foot long, clear Plexiglas canopy was located a half-mile north of Bison Road between Cleveland and Oakwood.
The jet was flown by two instructor pilots on an instrument flight bound for Topeka, Kan. When the aircraft lost its canopy at about 10,000 feet, the pilots declared an in-flight emergency and returned immediately to the airfield, where they landed safely, Frost said.
The crew was met by a flight surgeon, but neither pilot required any medical attention.
Vance maintenance and safety personnel searched for the canopy all day Wednesday, with no success. Late Wednesday the OHP volunteered its assistance, and the search resumed Thursday morning.
The canopy landed in an open area and caused no damage on the ground. It has been returned to Vance. The Vance Safety office will investigate the incident.
As with all aircraft operating out of Vance, this one was given a thorough preflight maintenance inspection before it took off, Frost said.
The last lost canopy from a T-38 at Vance occurred in 2010, said Frost. In 2012 a T-6 lost its canopy. Both aircraft returned safely to Vance.
The T-38 is a twin-engine, high-altitude, supersonic jet trainer. It has been service since 1959. The first T-38 arrived at Vance in April 1963.
© Copyright 2015 Enid News & Eagle (OK).