T-45 Down Near ARA; Pilots Eject

Sometimes, those "deer crossing" signs along most highways aren't warning enough. A motorist traveling down a Louisiana highway Thursday night was shocked to see a US Navy trainer jet cross the road in front of his small SUV.

"I ain't never seen anything like that before," said Jim Broussard to the Lafayette Daily Advertiser.

Here's what happened. The T-45 Goshawk (type shown above) was part of a flight of three practicing touch-and-go's at Acadiana Regional Airport in New Iberia. The pilots onboard were just finishing up the operation when the engine on one of the jets apparently malfunctioned in the pattern.

Iberia Parish Sheriff Sid Hebert said the malfunction left the aircraft uncontrollable, forcing the two airmen onboard to bail out. "They ejected successfully," said Hebert. "No one was hurt."

The Goshawk continued flying, gear extended, and sailed across the departure end of the airport runway before impacting a fence, and careening across Highway 88... and in front of Broussard's Geo Tracker.

Fortunately, what might have resulted in disaster instead gave Broussard a great story to tell.

"When I seen it cross the road, I was like, that's some crazy stuff," he said. "I was shocked. I couldn't believe it."

The aircraft sparked a brief fire, and suffered damage to its nose and landing gear... but otherwise seemed to survive the crash amazingly intact. Firefighters extinguished the blaze.

The two pilots were transported to an area hospital. Their conditions are not known.

FMI: www.navy.mil