Sep 28, 2000 - 12:40 AM

Florida: Instructor, Student Killed in Navy Plane Crash

The Associated Press

PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) - An instructor and student were killed Wednesday when a training plane based out of Pensacola Naval Air Station crashed near Silverhill, Ala., a Navy Spokesman said.

The T-34C Turbo Mentor was on a routine training mission when it crashed into an open field about 20 miles northwest of the air station at about 5 p.m., said Cmdr. Jack Papp.

The victims' names were not released pending notification of their relatives.

"They were on a routine training flight," Papp said. "It was in an area that we operate in routinely."

He said investigators are still trying to determine the cause of the crash.

The craft appeared to have been making practice landings at a Silverhill airfield when it crashed, said Larry Milstid, chief deputy of the Baldwin County Sheriff's Department.

The Navy uses T-34Cs for primary flight training.

Witness Charles Montez told the Pensacola News Journal that the plane spiraled down. He said the front of the plane was destroyed when he and a co-worker arrived at the crash scene.

"One of the pilots was on fire when he got there and there was nothing we could do," Montez said. "It was incredibly sad."

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/florida/MGAC0S0YNDC.html

-- Carl Jenkins (Somewherepress@aol.com), September 28, 2000