U-2 Spy Plane Crashes in California, One of Two Pilots Killed
One pilot was killed and another was injured, Air Force officials said.
— -- A U-2 Air Force reconnaissance aircraft crashed today in Sutter County, California, killing one of the two pilots aboard.
Both pilots aboard ejected, but one was killed and another sustained injuries, the Air Force said in a statement.
The aircraft crashed near the Sutter Buttes at 9:05 a.m. PDT, about 15 minutes after takeoff from the base, according to a statement from Beale Air Force Base.
"The aircraft was assigned to 1st Reconnaissance Squadron, Beale Air Force Base, California, and was on a training mission," the statement said.
Beale Air Force Base is located 40 miles north of Sacramento. Sutter County is located west of the Air Force base.
Operational U-2 planes are single-seater aircraft, but there are five two-seater versions used to train new pilots.
First used in the late 1950's, the high-altitude U-2 aircraft are still being used to gain intelligence on the battlefield.
They are deployed to the Middle East to help in gathering visual intelligence on ISIS, according to military officials.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.