U.S. Navy says training aircraft carrying two reported missing

[October 02, 2017]    (Reuters) - The U.S. Navy said on Sunday it was investigating reports of a jet crash in Tennessee and that one of its training aircraft had not returned to its air station.

A Navy training facility in Meridian, Mississippi, received reports of a jet crash near Tellico Plains, Tennessee, in the Cherokee National Forest early Sunday evening, the Navy said in a statement.

The crashed jet may have been T-45 from Training Air Wing ONE based out of NAS (Naval Air Station) in Meridian, Mississippi, the statement from the chief of Naval air training public affairs unit said.

"At this time, we know the wing had a T-45C Goshawk training in the vicinity of Tellico Plains that has not yet returned to the air station," it said.

Two pilots were aboard the aircraft -- an instructor and a student. Their status is unknown.

(Reporting by Chris Michaud; Editing by Michael Perry)

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