A Japanese air force officer and a US Air Force instructor pilot were killed in a crash in Alabama, Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force reported on Saturday.

The air force said in a statement that the Japanese second lieutenant and the US instructor crashed around 8 AM Japan time on Saturday (5 p.m. CST, 2300 GMT on Friday) as their T-38 was about to land at the Montgomery airport.

The lieutenant was learning maneuvering and other skills in the US Air Force curriculum to become a fighter pilot, said Japanese public broadcaster NHK, citing defense ministry sources.

The statement, which did not name the two men, said the accident is under investigation.