Simmons said Thursday he stands by the safety record at Vance, which hadn't suffered a training death since 2000. The base flies about 225 missions per day, and its runways see 800-1,000 landings per day, Simmons said.
The T-38 Talon is a "twin-engine, high-altitude, supersonic jet trainer used in a variety of roles because of its design, economy of operations, ease of maintenance, high performance and exceptional safety record," according to an Air Force fact sheet.
