Therese Apel

Mississippi Clarion Ledger

The Navy has released the identity of the pilots killed when their T-45C aircraft crashed in Tellico Plains, Tennessee on Sunday.

Lieutenant Patrick L. Ruth, 31, of Metairie, La. and Lieutenant Junior Grade Wallace E. Burch, 25, of Horn Lake, Miss. died when their aircraft went down in the Cherokee National Forest in Eastern Tenn.

Both pilots were assigned to the "Eagles" of Training Squadron SEVEN (VT-7) based at Naval Air Station Meridian, Miss.

Ruth had been in the Navy for nine years and was a member of VT-7 since 2015. Burch had been in the Navy for nearly three years and was a member of VT-7 since 2016.

U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker is calling for an immediate investigation to pin down the cause of Sunday's plane crash.

The crash is at least the third incident involving T-45C Goshawks at the base.

More:Meridian air base had 2 prior incidents with training planes in the last 13 months

Within the last 13 months, there have been at least two other incidents involving T-45C Goshawks, possibly highlighting what officials have said is a bigger problem with the plane.

Both pilots aboard were confirmed dead, military personnel said Monday. The names of the pilots, an instructor and a student, are being withheld for 24 hours after the notification of next of kin.

Wicker, a Republican from Mississippi, is Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Seapower, which has jurisdiction over the Navy and naval aviation.

“I am deeply saddened to learn that two of our nation’s best have been taken from us. I offer my condolences to their families and fellow service members," he said in a statement Tuesday. "May God grant peace to their loved ones during this very difficult time. The Navy should conduct an immediate investigation into what caused this tragedy.”

More:Both pilots dead in Navy training jet crash in Cherokee National Forest

In April, Wicker conducted a field hearing with Navy officials and pilots stationed at the Naval Air Station in Meridian to discuss safety issues with the T-45 training jets used at the base.

Wicker also met with Navy personnel in his Washington office following reports that some Navy instructor pilots were exercising their right to opt out of training flights because of these potential safety issues.

Wicker was successful in adding a provision to this year’s defense bill to help military officials identify the cause of these physiological episodes. The plan would authorize the Secretary of Defense to offer a $10 million prize – similar to the XPrize – to incentivize the brightest minds in academia and industry to help find the root cause or causes of PE.

More:Navy plane crash: Investigator calls jet 'solid airplane' despite safety concerns

Contact Therese Apel at 601-961-7236 or tapel@gannett.com. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter.