Thanks for the pic. Now the crash requiring an ejection seems more mysterious. Probably pilot error. Must have gotten the plane into some unrecoverable spin resulting in overstress and structural failure, or possible a fire in flight.
That’s a PT-6 turbine engine. I have over 2000 hours flying PT-6 turbine engine aircraft, and they are very reliable. The PT-6 either works very well, or it just doesn’t at all. And if the engine quits (turbine or gear box failure), they generally have a really good glide ratio and good engine out landing characteristics (note the straight wing and medium camber). Its actually pretty hard to imagine an ejection scenario, other than major failure or fire, given the PT-6 reliability.
Local San Antonio newspapers (like the one linked in #1) are saying that the cause is engine failure, I don’t know how they know that, what info they’ve received, from who, etc.
It is a new airframe. Replaced the T-37 at UPT.
Spins are standard training. You explore the envelope of the aircraft and sometimes things happen. Spins are fun and helpful in developing air sense and skills to fly the aircraft out of most anything.
No idea why this happened, but we shall hear more in a few more days.
Funny but slightly long story:
In the 80’s, while at RAFB training to be an IP, a friend of mine took a T-38 up into the goo (foggy day) to conduct a weather check, to see if the areas were usable for training flights.
There was too much weather so they called the SOF, reported suggesting cancel the first go, and started to RTB.
On final approach in the goo/weather my friend put the gear handle down and nothing happened. No gear, except for the left gear. That is a landing configuration that is dangerous and should not be attempted. . .you will tumble and die.
My friend executed a go-around, went to the holding area to do checklist items to try and get the gear to come down.
Jiggling the jet, inverted and plus-minus G movements, even shutting down the engine that powers the hydraulics to operate the gear.
No luck.
My friend unstrapped and reached under the dash so he could pull the manual gear release handle. Imagine his shock when the cable started to come out but then the cable abruptly snapped and the cable retracted into the front panel under the instrument panel. Argh.
So he (and the other IP with him) made ready to bail. . .went to the controlled bailout area, stowed loose gear and called the SOF that they were bailing in a minute.
They had been flying for about half hour and they pointed the jet towards the bailout point.
They ejected and all went smooth, They could not see each other but being in the goo helped amplify their voices.
They were feeling pretty good until they heard the ‘thumpa-thumpa-whop-whop sound of helicopter blades that sounded like the helo was right below them.
While they floated down apparently the helo got to the bailout area before they did and was flying just under the cloud cover. Oh no. . . as my friend says, all he could think about was a frog in a blender.
Luckily they popped out of the goo about a quarter mile from the helo. Massive relief. . .whew.