Military Plane Crashes Into Gulf Of Mexico

Military Plane Crashes Into Gulf Of Mexico

Updated: Oct 28, 2009 05:31 PM



PORT LAVACA - The Navy and Coast Guard are searching the Gulf of Mexico for the crew of a T-34 Trainer that went down off the coast of Port Lavaca.

The search area is 12 miles out in the Gulf of Mexico, somwhere between Port Lavaca and Rockport. According to the FAA, the aircraft dropped off the radar around 3:30 p.m. this afternoon. The single engine trainer has a seat for an instructor and a student pilot. The Coast Guard has sent out a helicopter, jet and three boats to search for the missing crewmembers.

More information to be posted as soon as it becomes available.


UPDATE - As of the 6 p.m. news, there still is no sign of the student, instructor, or the aircraft. The search teams are moving north, following the currents. The crash area is 15-20 miles north of where I live in Corpus Christi, and the search area has now moved about 40 miles north. We have had alot of wind the past few days, monday wind peaked at 84 MPH, today, winds are from 22-35MPH.

cheers rtm

that is very sad, lets hope they managed to eject safely

Here is the type of plane that has gone missing.





As of the 10 p.m. news, so far nothing still. Within 20 minutes of losing contact, planes and ships were launched. When the area of disappearance was announced by the air traffic controllers, civilian helicopters (who were ferrying crewmen to and from oil platforms) joined the search till they ran low on fuel.


Military Plane Crashes Into Gulf Of Mexico

Updated: Oct 28, 2009 10:05 PM


Military Plane Crashes Into Gulf Of Mexico

MATAGORDA ISLAND - The Navy and Coast Guard are looking for the crew of Navy T-34 Training Aircraft Wednesday night.

The FAA control tower lost radar contact with the T-34 Trainer around 3:20 p.m. Its position was 12 miles due east of Rockport, over the Gulf of Mexico. At 4 p.m., the Coast Guard was advised that there was a missing plane in the Gulf.

The search area is along the coast of Matagorda Island, which runs from Rockport to the opening of the Matagorda Bay at Port O'Connor.

Authorities believe wind and currents could be pushing the wreckage, if any, in that direction.

"It has a very heavy nose and not much floatation, so it will go down very quickly in most seas," Jerry Richardson, who trains pilots at the Municipal Airport in Rockport, said.

In addition, Richardson has been flying helicopters and planes for years.

Richardson said, "We had a bird coming back across the bay and the Coast Guard was searching and it ended up being in the same frequency as the Coast Guard, so they asked us to assist them and we said certainly."

So, he sent out one of his pilots that was already en route.

"We just kind of flew out there and went from one platform to another and kind of did zig zags back in. A couple of Navy jets out there and looking around not for an aircraft unfortunately, but bits and pieces floating around in the water," Pilot Camron Leuschel said.

Leuschel didn't find anything, but knows he talked to the T-34 pilot many times during the day.

At the municipal airport the T-34 Aircraft frequents the runway daily and the pilots there talk with the Navy personnel on a regular basis, whether it be on the ground or in the air.

"I don't know who it was today, if he was even at this airport, but I know we talked to him frequently throughout the day," Leuschel said.

The two men in the aircraft haven't been found yet and the search will still go on.

"It's hard to live with that. I know it's going to suck that it's the reality of the business and industry, so it's hard," Leuschel said.

Online Reporter: Rashi Vats

Search Continues For Navy Pilots

Updated: Oct 30, 2009 06:57 PM

CORPUS CHRISTI - Navy officials gave an update on the search for that still missing flight Friday.

They identified the crew members as Lt. Bret Travis Miller and Lt. John Joseph Houston.

Lt. Miller is 30 years old and is from East Troy, Wisconsin. He's a pilot and has been with the training squadron at NAS/ Corpus Christi since March 2007.

Lt. Miller graduated from the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland in September 2001.

His crewmate, 29 year old Lt. John Joseph Houston, is a native of Houston. He's also a pilot and just arrived at NAS/Corpus Christi in February of this year.

Lt. Houston is also a graduate of the Naval Academy in Annapolis. He graduated in August 2002.

No information was released on their marital status or their families. Both men have received several awards from the Navy and Marine Corps and were described as heroes by their commanding officer today. Finding them alive continues to be a priority for the Navy and Coast Guard.

"I can tell you they are both American heroes with combat support experience and their first tours in the navy," Cpt. Dave Price.

The two pilots flight went off the radar 3:30 pm Wednesday afternoon during a routine training mission. Captain Price says the T-34 plane flown by Lt. Miller Lt. Houston is equipped with parachute and survival equipment.

"There is a bail out potential from that particular aircraft. They do have parachutes and carry survival equipment. It's a single engine primary trainer and it's the principal primary trainer in the US Navy Marine Corp.," said Cpt. Price.

The Coast Guard hasn't found any sign of the two men or their plane in the gulf.

"We have not to date found any wreckage. We have to date found really very little in the search area at all. That is why we are continuing to search and will continue to search till we find something," said Cpt. Robert Paulson with the Coast Guard.

But they say they will continue the search for these two men.


The search area is in excess of 4,800 square miles. Navy and coast guard personnel have been joined by U.S. Customs And Border Protection boats and planes, as well as civilian boats and helicopters. All air training has been suspended till further notice.