Navy T-6B Crashes in Alabama Neighborhood, Killing 2 Aircrew

A T6-B Texan II taxis at Naval Air Station Whiting Field, Florida, in 2010. (Navy Photo by Lt. j.g. Michael Daharsh)

Military.com | By Gina Harkins

Published October 23, 2020

A Navy T-6B Texan II aircraft crashed in a residential neighborhood in Alabama on Friday afternoon, killing two aboard and starting a house fire.

The crash occurred at about 5 p.m. in Foley, near Alabama's southern coastline. Naval Air Forces announced Friday night that the aircrew did not survive the crash.

"The names of the deceased will not be released until 24 hours after the next-of-kin notification," Naval Air Forces officials added. "The incident is currently under investigation. The Navy is cooperating fully with local authorities."

The Baldwin County Sheriff's Office tweeted that there were no civilians injured on the ground. Sheriff and fire units were on the scene near Magnolia School in Magnolia Springs after the plane crashed, starting a home in the area on fire.

"Please avoid the area if possible," the department tweeted, later adding, "[Defense Department] and Navy personnel will be handling the investigation and will provide further updates."

FOX10 News reported that the plane hit a house and two cars.

The T-6B Texan II is a tandem-seat, turboprop trainer mainly used to train Navy and Marine Corps pilots.

Navy officials did not immediately respond to questions about whether those aboard were students or instructors, where the flight originated, or how long the plane had been in the air.

The crash comes three days after a Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet crashed in California during a routine training flight. That pilot ejected safely and was treated at a local medical facility.

The two killed in Friday night's crash are the Navy's first aviation-related fatalities in more than a year. The Naval Safety Center announced Tuesday that the Navy and Marine Corps recorded no aviation-related deaths in fiscal 2020, which ended Sept. 30.

-- Gina Harkins can be reached at gina.harkins@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @ginaaharkins.

Story Continues

Related Topics: Military Headlines US Navy Topics Trainer Aicraft Crash Landings

Gina Harkins

Gina Harkins previously covered the Marine Corps, Navy and Coast Guard for Military.com. She has covered troops and their families for nearly a decade, reporting from the U.S., Central and South America, and at sea. Before joining Military.com, Gina was a longtime reporter and managing editor for the independent Marine Corps Times. Her story on two recruits trapped at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island in South Carolina was runner up for the 2013 Military Reporters and Editors award for domestic military coverage. She holds a master’s degree from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism and studied political science and international relations in her undergrad at Northeastern Illinois University. Read Full Bio

© Copyright 2024 Military.com. All rights reserved. This article may not be republished, rebroadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without written permission. To reprint or license this article or any content from Military.com, please submit your request here.