Military jet crash kills 2 Air Force pilots

Feb. 20 (UPI) -- A military jet crash in Montgomery, Ala., killed the two Air Force pilots aboard, officials confirmed.

The training jet, a T-38, which jet flew out of Mississippi's Columbus Air Force Base, was on its way to Tallahassee, when it crashed in a wooded area near Montgomery Regional Airport, also known as Dannelly Field, Friday evening, Air Force officials confirmed Friday night.

The T-38 trainer aircraft was assigned to the 14th Flying Training Wing in Columbus, Columbus AFB officials confirmed.

The Columbus base routinely uses Dannelly Field in landing exercises for pilots in training, WFSA reported, adding that no one on the ground was injured and that ingoing and outgoing flights were not impacted because the incident didn't occur on site.

Identification of victims is pending notification of next to kin.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the two pilots involved in this incident," said Col. Seth Graham, 14th Flying Training Wing commander said in a statement. "There are no words that can describe the sadness that accompanies the loss of our teammates."

The crash occurred about a half hour before sunset and the airport tower reported to Taggart that several pilots had complained about the sun shortly before the crash.

Investigators are on site.

The crash occurred around the area of Selma Highway and Lamar Road resulting in traffic being re-routed.