{"id":20845,"date":"2021-06-30T13:24:10","date_gmt":"2021-06-30T13:24:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/uncategorized\/2021\/06\/30\/pilots-error-in-judgment-caused-t-38-mishap-in-february-investigation-finds\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T20:32:56","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T20:32:56","slug":"pilots-error-in-judgment-caused-t-38-mishap-in-february-investigation-finds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2021\/06\/30\/pilots-error-in-judgment-caused-t-38-mishap-in-february-investigation-finds\/","title":{"rendered":"Pilot\u2019s error in judgment caused T-38 mishap in February, investigation finds"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

An Air Force pilot with the 9th Reconnaissance Wing crashed a T-38A Talon trainer jet earlier this year when they raised the plane\u2019s landing gear too early during takeoff, according to an accident investigation report published Tuesday<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilot, a member of the 1st Reconnaissance Squadron at Beale Air Force Base, California, was practicing a touch-and-go landing<\/a> with an instructor at nearby Sacramento Mather Airport on the morning of Feb. 18.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In touch-and-go drills, an aircraft briefly touches down on a runway before climbing back into the sky, circling around, and repeating the maneuver. Landing gears should be retracted when a plane is \u201cdefinitely airborne\u201d and continuously climbing, according to the report.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the pilot started to ascend, he raised the landing gear, felt the aircraft sink and put the wheels down again. He felt the jet rising again, pointed the nose up and retracted the landing gear.<\/p>\n\n\n\t