Two die in crash of Air Force training jet near Texas base

SPOFFORD, Texas – An Air Force jet on a training mission crashed at an airfield near Laughlin Air Force Base, killing an instructor and a student, a base spokeswoman said.

Air Force investigators were looking into the cause of the crash, Capt. Dawnita Parkinson, a spokeswoman for the 47th Flying Training Wing, said Friday.

Parkinson identified the dead as the instructor, 1st Lt. Chad B. Carlson of Lewisville, Texas, and the student pilot, 2nd Lt. Nicholas J. Jabara of Colbert, Wash.

The T-37 trainer jet went down at about 1:30 p.m. Thursday. Parkinson said it was not known what the crew was doing at the time, but the airfield, about 25 miles east of Laughlin, is often used to practice taking off and landing.

Laughlin is about 145 miles west of San Antonio.

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