US Air Force Crash Was Crop Duster Converted Into Special Ops Aircraft

The US Air Force plane that crashed into a field in Oklahoma late Thursday afternoon was a new special operations light attack aircraft that the service first received earlier this year.

The new OA-1K Skyraider II is a militarized version of the well-known Air Tractor AT-802, which is used for agricultural work like crop dusting, or aerial application of pesticides or fertilizer. The Air Force plane supports missions like close air support and armed intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.

The crash occurred Thursday afternoon in southeast Oklahoma City, according to the Oklahoma Air National Guard. The aircraft and crew were assigned to the 492nd Special Operations Wing out of Will Rogers Air National Guard Base. No injuries were reported among the two people on board, and the cause of the crash is under investigation.

Oklahoma City Fire Department officials told local news media that the aircraft appeared to have suffered some kind of engine failure and that the crew attempted to bring the aircraft down in a safe area, in this case, a field.

The crew included one civilian and one active-duty airman. At the time of the incident, the plane was on a training flight.

The OA-1K Skyraider II was unveiled to the public for the first time in early May at SOF Week 2025 in Tampa, Florida, where Business Insider got an up-close look at the new plane. The first mission-ready Skyraider II aircraft had been delivered to Air Force Special Operations Command just prior to that event.

While the plane started as a crop duster, the OA-1K Skyraider II — named after the A-1 Skyraider of the Korean and Vietnam wars — has received a ton of upgrades for a variety of missions, such as CAS, armed ISR, and strike. Different technologies can be easily integrated into the modular aircraft design for different missions.

Made by L3Harris, the OA-1K Skyraider II has been described by the Air Force as a flexible aircraft that boasts more manageable maintenance demands and a lower cost per flight hour than other AFSOC aircraft at less than $1,000 per hour.

It was mainly built for armed overwatch and attack in permissive environments. L3Harris officials previously told Business Insider one of the aircraft’s strengths is that it can land just about “anywhere,” from rugged and remote airfields to highways.

The Air Force has been prioritizing that flexibility for higher-end warfare in which fixed bases and airfields are vulnerable targets for a well-armed adversary like China or Russia. More austere environments and unconventional runways are less likely to attract enemy missiles.



Source link

Visited 1 times, 1 visit(s) today

Related Article

The Time’s “Come And Gone” For Rigetti (RGTI), Says Jim Cramer

We recently published 14 Stocks Jim Cramer Discussed As He Shared Insights For Nuclear And Quantum Stocks. Rigetti Computing, Inc. (NASDAQ:RGTI) is one of the stocks Jim Cramer recently discussed. Along with IonQ, Cramer also discussed quantum computing firm Rigetti Computing, Inc. (NASDAQ:RGTI). The firm is part of a basket of quantum computing upstarts that

Jacksonville International Airport teases new destinations in Concourse B milestone

Jacksonville International Airport teases new destinations in Concourse B milestone

A huge step forward Friday morning for the Jacksonville International Airport’s Concourse B construction project, as airport officials laid the final metal beam in what’s called a “topping off” ceremony. “When terminals A and C were opened, they contemplated building Concourse B. But the economy wasn’t the greatest at the time. They decided to put

World News - Hometown News Now

World News – Hometown News Now

Kiran Ridley/Getty Images (PARIS) — When Alexander Boecker and his wife, Julia Schwartz, woke up last Sunday morning, the first headlines were not what they expected. One of their company’s machines — a Boecker AgiLo furniture lift — had been used in a jewel heist at the Louvre Museum in Paris and the image of

Image for the mini product module

How to get free HBO Max through DashPass in 2025

HBO Max cleaned up at the Emmy Awards this year, snagging 30 trophies for shows like The Pitt, Somebody Somewhere, and Hacks, making the streaming platform a must-have for TV lovers. Unfortunately, HBO Max just announced that they’ve joined in the price-hike trend, raising subscription rates across every tier, which is bad news for TV

Volcano dormant for 700,000 years could soon resume activity, scientists say

Volcano dormant for 700,000 years could soon resume activity, scientists say

STOCK IMAGE/Getty Images(NEW YORK) — A volcano that has been dormant for hundreds of thousands of years could be gearing up for a massive explosion, according to new research.Scientists have measured signs of unrest at the Taftan volcano in eastern Iran, near the Afghanistan border, despite no eruptions in the last 700,000 years, according to

The area spanning Afghanistan, Pakistan, and North India is one of the world's most seismically active zones. (Representational image/AP)

Earthquake Of Magnitude 5.7 Hits Japan’s Hokkaido | World News

Last Updated:October 24, 2025, 23:52 IST Japan lies in one of the world’s most seismically active regions. The country has developed the densest seismic monitoring network globally. The area spanning Afghanistan, Pakistan, and North India is one of the world’s most seismically active zones. (Representational image/AP) An earthquake of magnitude 5.7 shook Japan’s Hokkaido on