ELLIJAY, Ga.  — Searchers combed the rugged terrain of north-central Georgia on Wednesday for a missing Navy plane carrying four aviators.

The Navy T-39 Sabreliner left Chattanooga, Tenn., Tuesday morning, and was scheduled to arrive in Pensacola, Fla., that afternoon but never did, said a spokesman, Lt. j.g. Sean Robertson.

The last radio contact with the plane was at 11:20 a.m., about 20 minutes after takeoff, Robertson said.

"All we know is the aircraft made contact, and we haven't heard anything since," he said.

Searchers were looking in an area that includes Carters Lake, but the effort was hampered by rugged terrain and rainy weather.

A Navy instructor, a Navy student, an Air Force student and a civilian contract pilot were aboard the Sabreliner, Robertson said. Their identities have not been released.

Sabreliners are used for training navigators and other non-pilot air crew officers for the Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and foreign military services.


Poor guys. I hope they didnt suffer.

btt

Damn

WE HAVE A BROKEN ARROW!  I REPEAT, WE HAVE A BROKEN ARROW!

They still fly those things?
Aren't they close to 50 yrs old?
The Aeronautical Science program at a local college has a non-flying one they use in their A&P courses thats pretty old.

They still use them for AF, Navy, and Marine NFO training (non-pilot). I think they are cool planes. F86 with a fat body and 2 engines

Quoted: They still use them for AF, Navy, and Marine NFO training (non-pilot). I think they are cool planes. F86 with a fat body and 2 engines

Yep, my brother just finished training on the T-39 last year...

Channel 5 in Atlanta just announced that they have found the plane.  No details yet.  I believe it's near Ellijay, Ga.

Have all of the warheads been accounted for?

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,181392,00.html

Missing Navy Jet Found
 Wednesday, January 11, 2006
 
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Navy Searches for Missing Jet
 LaFAYETTE, Ga. - The Civil Air Patrol says a missing Navy jet with four aviators aboard was found tonight, more than 24 hours after it failed to make its scheduled landing at Pensacola Naval Air Station in Florida.  
CAP Captain Paige Joyner says the fate of the crew is not know at this time. She says ground crews are on the scene.
Floyd County Sheriff Tim Burkhalter said the wreckage of the jet was found in southern Walker County between Lake Marvin and Villanow. Burkhalter said he could not confirm if the wreckage is that of a missing Navy jet, but was told earlier in the evening by the Georgia State Patrol that they were looking in the area for the wreckage.
Moments later, Joyner confirmed that it was the missing plane.
The search for a Navy jet and the four aviators on board covered a swath of Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama earlier today.
Captain Lee Little, a pilot in charge of Training Wing Six based at Pensacola, said the search area stretched from Chattanooga to Montgomery over rugged terrain. A Navy instructor, a Navy student, an Air Force student and a civilian contract pilot were on board. Their identities have not been released.

Quoted: Have all of the warheads been accounted for?

Warheads?

They have found a debris field in Walker County, GA.  Details are sketchy right now.

Thought T-1A Jayhawks replaced them.  At least I think they may have in USAF.  Dunno, out of the loop now.

Thought the AF got rid of the last of its T-39's in 1990-92 ish. The Navy still flies those relics ????

Quoted: They still fly those things? Aren't they close to 50 yrs old? The Aeronautical Science program at a local college has a non-flying one they use in their A&P courses thats pretty old.

Plenty of "old" flying things in the .mil.

Lord Guard and Guide...

Quoted: WE HAVE A BROKEN ARROW!  I REPEAT, WE HAVE A BROKEN ARROW! www.brooks.af.mil/afioh/Graphics/Mushroom%20_Cloud.jpg

Have some respect, guy.  It seems if a Marine was onboard everyone would break-out the weepy flag/crying icon.

Quoted: Thought the AF got rid of the last of its T-39's in 1990-92 ish. The Navy still flies those relics ????

Nope, the AF, Navy, and Marines all still use the T-39 for training navigators. I don't know if there are any Army navigators that go through NAS Pensecola, but I know that when my brother (He's AF, now training as a WSO for the F-15E) graduated from VT-86 last spring he graduated with Navy and Marine navigators and they all trained on the T-39. IIRC the people who graduate that program go on to fly in F-18's(whichever the 2-seater version is), F-15E's, EA-6B's, B1-B's and maybe a few others that I don't remember.

I got a call from my brother this morning. His fiance is Navy and was training in VT-86 at NAS Pensecola and her roommate is currently in VT-86. Her roommate flew the exact same route earlier in the day. All of them know the people who were on board.

Quoted: Quoted: WE HAVE A BROKEN ARROW!  I REPEAT, WE HAVE A BROKEN ARROW! www.brooks.af.mil/afioh/Graphics/Mushroom%20_Cloud.jpg Have some respect, guy.  It seems if a Marine was onboard everyone would break-out the weepy flag/crying icon.

And it just as easily could have been a Marine, since they train Marines in VT-86 at NAS Pensecola.

ETA: And +1 on having just as much respect no matter what branch they were in.