One pilot was killed and another sustained injuries when a two seat U-2 training aircraft crashed Tuesday near Beale AFB, Calif. The aircraft, a TU-2S, crashed near the Sutter Buttes in the Sacramento Valley at about 9:05 am local time. Photos of the scene show the charred wreckage of the aircraft, with its tail in tact, and a brush fire burning. The Air Force had five of the TU-2S variants, two-seat U-2s used for pilot training. The aircraft was assigned to the 1st Reconnaissance Squadron, 9th Reconnaissance Wing at Beale.
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems predicts the new drone it plans to pitch for the military’s massed modular aircraft program will exceed many of the military’s requirements for a successor to the MQ-9 Reaper.