14 DAY TRIAL // A small plane has crashed on Friday, July 19 near Sheppard Air Force Base. Two people were on the plane and they have both escaped the accident with minor injuries.
According to Times Record News in Wichita Falls, the pair were part of the Air Force Base’s Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program.
One of the pilots was an instructor and the second was a student. They have been able to eject from the plane.
Initial reports revealed that the T-38C Talon training aircraft had an impact with a bird and went down 3 miles (4.82 km) south of Sheppard.
"The two seats are sequenced so that the pilot ejects first, and then a short delay later, the front cockpit students ejects also," explains Colonel Lance Bunch, commander of the 80th Flying Training Wing, as relayed by the Examiner.
The pilots have been identified as German student pilot 1st Lieutenant Julius Dressbach and his instructor Major Chris Thompson, Texas Homepage writes.
"The deputies did tell me that the pilot that was injured apparently was hung in the trees and fell through the trees to get down while trying to get out of it.
"He was covered with jet fuel but then again, from the crash and their ejection and coming down through it and the fire. He had made a comment that he was involved in the fire ball when he went through it and he had some minor burns on his face and neck," Sheriff David Duke describes.
The crash took place before 7 a.m., and witnesses describe a big bang and a dust cloud forming after it.
"All of a sudden you hear a big loud noise, it sounded like a blow torch and then just a big loud bang, so we flew out of bed, threw shoes on went outside and you just see a big mushroom cloud everywhere," resident Melissa Baker says.