The Great Smoky Mountain Journal

Staff, Wire Reports

Posted: Sunday, January 21, 2018 06:30 PM

Two Navy Pilots Killed in Crash Near Tellico Plains Sunday In Cherokee National Forest

MONROE COUNTY, Tenn. (Source: CBS News, WVLT) -- The United States Navy reported Monday that two pilots did not survive in a crash Sunday in Tellico Plains in the Cherokee National Forest.

@USNavy tweeted, "UPDATE: Training Air Wing ONE confirms T-45 crashed Sunday in Tennessee. Two pilots did not survive -"

The United States military confirmed to news outlets a military aircraft crashed Sunday in Tellico Plains.

In a post to its Facebook page, the Monroe County Sheriff's Office said the jet crashed in the Cherokee National Forest near the fish hatchery on River Road.

Investigators initially kept civilians three miles away from the crash site because the jet had explosives in it; however, on Monday, the Monroe County EMS director clarified that the aircraft did not have explosives on board.

The U.S. Navy described the aircraft as a T-45 Goshawk jet aircraft from Training Air Wing ONE, based out of Meridian, Mississippi. The Navy release stated the aircraft was training in the area and had not yet returned to the air station at 6 p.m. Sunday.