An instructor pilot and student pilot had to make a belly landing with their T-6A Texan II trainer at Columbus AFB, Miss., on June 25, after the aircraft’s landing gear malfunctioned during a training sortie, reported The Dispatch, a local newspaper. Neither pilot was injured in the mishap, according to the report. The incident occurred as student pilots practiced aerial maneuvers, takeoffs, and landings, stated the newspaper. The damaged aircraft is currently sitting in a base hangar. A safety investigation board will review the incident, which is reportedly the first mishap of this type at Columbus in some five years.
The emphasis on speed in the Pentagon’s newly unveiled slate of acquisition reforms may come with increased near-term cost increases, analysts say. But according to U.S. defense officials, the new weapons-buying construct provides the military with enough flexibility to prevent runaway budget overruns in major programs.
