Navy T-45 Goshawk Crashes in Texas Field, Crew Ejects

On March 24, 2021, a United States Navy T-45C Goshawk trainer aircraft crashed in Orange Grove, Texas. There were no serious injuries. Subsequent investigation by the Navy revealed that the crash was due to mechanical problems. The aircraft, assigned to Training Air Wing 2 out of NAS Kingsville, Texas, was participating in a regularly scheduled training mission when its hydraulic system caution light alarmed as its flight crew were practicing landing pattern procedures. The accident occurred approximately 45 minutes after takeoff, when the aircraft experienced an “abrupt and rapid right roll soon after a hydraulic system 1 (HYD1) failure.“ Because of the aircraft’s low altitude at the time of hydraulic failure, the aircrew had no option but to eject. According to the final investigation report, “This mishap was the result of a mechanical failure undetectable during normal flight operations, not due to pilot misconduct. No supervisory negligence or malpractice was causal to