What happened
During a scheduled training flight, two Rockwell T-39N Sabreliner aircraft, operated by the US Navy, were traveling over the Gulf of Mexico. The aircraft, identified by registrations 165522 and 165525, had departed from Pensacola-Forrest Sherman Field prior to the incident.
While the planes were in the cruise phase of flight, approximately 60 km from the coastline, the two aircraft collided. The impact caused both planes to crash into the sea. Following the accident, wreckage was located by search teams roughly 64 km offshore, with the debris fields of the two aircraft positioned approximately 10 km apart.
Findings
There were seven fatalities recorded, as all crew members on both aircraft perished in the accident. The specific circumstances leading to the mid-air collision remain undetermined.