Northrop T-38
30 on the U.S. register. Built from 1963 to 1974; half of them date from 1966 or earlier. Texas has the most (28). 100% are registered to companies, flight schools, clubs and other organisations; the rest to individuals, who are not named here at this time.
About the T-38 from the FAA's model table
- Type
- Fixed-wing, multi-engine · Business jets
- Power
- Turbojet, 2 engines
- Common engines
- Ge J85-5H (1), Ama/Expr Unknown Eng (1)
- Seats
- 2
- Cruise speed
- about 442 mph
- Built of
- aluminium
- Maker on the register
- Northrop
- Registered
- earliest certificate September 10, 1969; newest November 19, 2018
Where they are owner's state
Who owns them registrant type
By owner type, as a table
| aircraft | share | |
|---|---|---|
| Government | 28 | 93% |
| LLC | 1 | 3% |
| Corporation | 1 | 3% |
Versions as the FAA records them · click one to list only those aircraft
| Version | Registered | Built | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| T-38A | 30 | 1963 to 1974 | 100.0% |
When they were built by decade · 6 with no year on file
Airworthiness certificate class
By airworthiness certificate, as a table
| aircraft | share | |
|---|---|---|
| None on file | 28 | 93% |
| Experimental | 2 | 7% |
Biggest operators companies, schools and clubs
National Aeronautics and Space Administration24National Aeronautics and Space Adminstration1National Aeronautics and Space Administartion1National Aeronautics & Space Admin1NASA Johnson Space Center1Boeing CO1Blue Jet LLC1
Largest fleets, as a table
| aircraft | |
|---|---|
| National Aeronautics and Space Administration | 24 |
| National Aeronautics and Space Adminstration | 1 |
| National Aeronautics and Space Administartion | 1 |
| National Aeronautics & Space Admin | 1 |
| NASA Johnson Space Center | 1 |
| Boeing CO | 1 |
| Blue Jet LLC | 1 |
Fleet pages: National Aeronautics and Space Administration · Boeing CO
Accident history NTSB records · 3 cases since 1982, 1 fatal
1990-08-07FTW90FA151 · T-38A USAF · accident near Elmendorf, TX · minor injuries
1989-05-15BFO89IA036 · T-38A N920NS · incident near Washington, DC · no injuries
1987-05-22LAX87FA213 · T-38A USAF · accident near Tehachapi, CA · 4 killed
The 3 most recent of 3 cases where the NTSB's make and model match this family's versions. Each aircraft's own page also shows its record. How this model compares with others, with the fleet taken into account: Accidents by model in Aviation Analytics.
Questions people ask answers refresh every morning
How many Northrop T-38 aircraft are registered in the U.S.?
30 as of October 30, 2026, counting 1 version the FAA records separately.
Which state has the most Northrop T-38s?
Texas, with 28.
Who owns the Northrop T-38?
100% are registered to companies, flight schools, clubs and other organisations; the rest to individuals and co-owners, who are not named on this site at this time.
When were the Northrop T-38s on the register built?
Between 1963 and 1974; half of them in 1966 or earlier.
How many Northrop T-38 accidents has the NTSB recorded?
3 accidents and incidents since 1982, 1 of them fatal. A model flown more shows more; the accident analytics compare models per thousand registered.
What is the Northrop T-38 made of?
The airframe is aluminium: sheet metal over a riveted frame, the way most aircraft have been built since the 1940s. The FAA's type certificate data sheet is the authority for any one model.
Connections how the T-38 links to the rest of the register
Design
- Northrop 81 aircraft on the register
- Northrop T-38A 30 registered
- Built of aluminium
Engines
- General Electric J85-5H 1 of these aircraft
Where they are
- Texas 28 of these aircraft
- Washington 1 of these aircraft
- Arizona 1 of these aircraft
Biggest operators
- National Aeronautics And Space Administration 24 of these aircraft
- National Aeronautics and Space Adminstration 1 of these aircraft
- National Aeronautics and Space Administartion 1 of these aircraft
- National Aeronautics & Space Admin 1 of these aircraft
- NASA Johnson Space Center 1 of these aircraft
Record
- NTSB accidents and incidents involving the T-38 3 cases since 1982 · 1 fatal
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/model/northrop/t-38.json.
Aircraft newest certificates first · 30
| Tail no. | Maker and model | Owner and base | Certificate | Registered | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N966NA | Northrop T-38A |
National Aeronautics and Space Adminstration Houston, Texas |
None on file | 2018-11-19 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N967NA | Northrop T-38A |
National Aeronautics & Space Admin Houston, Texas |
None on file | 2016-01-13 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N938TC | Northrop T-38A |
Blue Jet LLC Scottsdale, Arizona |
Experimental | 2015-11-12 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N38TZ | Northrop T-38A |
Boeing CO Renton, Washington |
Experimental | 2011-01-25 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N963NA | Northrop T-38A |
NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, Texas |
None on file | 1990-10-19 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N915NA | Northrop T-38A |
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Houston, Texas |
None on file | 1989-10-16 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N904NA | Northrop T-38A |
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Houston, Texas |
None on file | 1978-10-12 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N906NA | Northrop T-38A |
National Aeronautics and Space Administartion Houston, Texas |
None on file | 1978-10-12 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N907NA | Northrop T-38A |
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Houston, Texas |
None on file | 1978-10-12 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N910NA | Northrop T-38A |
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Houston, Texas |
None on file | 1978-10-12 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N955NA | Northrop T-38A |
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Houston, Texas |
None on file | 1972-04-04 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N956NA | Northrop T-38A |
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Houston, Texas |
None on file | 1972-04-04 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N959NA | Northrop T-38A |
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Houston, Texas |
None on file | 1972-04-04 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N960NA | Northrop T-38A |
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Houston, Texas |
None on file | 1972-04-04 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N961NA | Northrop T-38A |
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Houston, Texas |
None on file | 1972-04-04 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N962NA | Northrop T-38A |
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Houston, Texas |
None on file | 1972-04-04 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N901NA | Northrop T-38A |
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Houston, Texas |
None on file | 1969-09-10 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N902NA | Northrop T-38A |
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Houston, Texas |
None on file | 1969-09-10 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N903NA | Northrop T-38A |
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Houston, Texas |
None on file | 1969-09-10 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N908NA | Northrop T-38A |
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Houston, Texas |
None on file | 1969-09-10 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N909NA | Northrop T-38A |
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Houston, Texas |
None on file | 1969-09-10 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N913NA | Northrop T-38A |
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Houston, Texas |
None on file | 1969-09-10 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N914NA | Northrop T-38A |
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Houston, Texas |
None on file | 1969-09-10 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N916NA | Northrop T-38A |
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Houston, Texas |
None on file | 1969-09-10 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N917NA | Northrop T-38A |
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Houston, Texas |
None on file | 1969-09-10 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N918NA | Northrop T-38A |
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Houston, Texas |
None on file | 1969-09-10 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N920NA | Northrop T-38A |
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Houston, Texas |
None on file | 1969-09-10 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N921NA | Northrop T-38A |
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Houston, Texas |
None on file | 1969-09-10 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N923NA | Northrop T-38A |
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Houston, Texas |
None on file | 1969-09-10 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N924NA | Northrop T-38A |
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Houston, Texas |
None on file | 1969-09-10 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |