{"id":14918,"date":"2020-05-13T13:39:15","date_gmt":"2020-05-13T13:39:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2020\/05\/13\/simultaneous-t-38-landings-halted-after-fatal-crash\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T20:17:27","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T20:17:27","slug":"simultaneous-t-38-landings-halted-after-fatal-crash","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/training-sim\/2020\/05\/13\/simultaneous-t-38-landings-halted-after-fatal-crash\/","title":{"rendered":"Simultaneous T-38 landings halted after fatal crash"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Air Force has stopped requiring student pilots to practice formation landings after the deaths of two pilots<\/a> attempting to carry one out while flying the T-38C Talon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instructor pilot Lt. Col. John \u201cMatt\u201d Kincade, 47, and student pilot 2nd Lt. Travis Wilkie, 23, died in a crash Nov. 21<\/a> at Vance Air Force Base in Oklahoma<\/a> while trying to land side-by-side with another T-38. The report on the investigation into the accident, released May 1, said the crash was caused by missteps taken by Wilkie and because Kincade did not take control of the plane from Wilkie in time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But Wilkie\u2019s family blasted the report as \u201cgrossly and unjustly incomplete\u201d for not including the formation landing attempt as a contributing factor. Such landings, especially in aging air frames like the nearly six decade-old T-38, are unnecessary and extremely dangerous, and should be stopped, Wilkie\u2019s family said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Air Education and Training Command confirmed in a statement that it stopped conducting formation landings on March 5. The change was first reported Tuesday by Air Force Magazine<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOn March 5, 2020, the United States Air Force directed the suspension of formation landing training in undergraduate pilot training,\u201d AETC said. \u201cWe are constantly evaluating our training programs to ensure we provide the best possible pilots for our Air Force. Following an Air Force-wide review, we adjusted our syllabi to reflect the requirements of our fifth-generation Air Force and advances in avionics.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a statement Tuesday, Wilkie\u2019s family expressed relief that the landings were stopped \u2014 but also anger that the Air Force didn\u2019t tell them it had taken that step for more than two months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Wilkie family said that they asked the Air Force multiple times in writing since January if the landings were continuing and if so, why. They received no answer until Monday, when they were told the landings were suspended March 5, and said it was unclear why the Air Force didn\u2019t disclose that earlier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis decision underscores and substantiates the failure of Air Force leadership to discontinue an archaic and dangerous training requirement, in a tired 58-year-old plane, before it took the life of our son Travis and his instructor pilot,\u201d Wilkie\u2019s family said. \u201cWe view it as a clear admission of culpability in contributing to the accident. It was misleading and unjust not to acknowledge formation landing as a contributing cause in their report and subsequent press release.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t