Capt. Thomas Brundige IV was killed in the F15 accident on 15 Dec 1981 -->
assigned to 461st Tac Ftr Trg Sq at Luke
Capt. Dave McCarthy was killed in the F-15 mid-air on 7 March 1986. Don`t
know which aircraft and which squadron.-
Date
Air Force
A'cft
Unit / Serial
based
crashed
crew
photo
seat
14th October 1975
USAF
F-15A Eagle
73‑0088
LA
555th TFTS 58 TFTW
Crashed at Luke AFB, Arizona.
W of Minersville (UT) after a
generator failure and smoke in cockpit
pilot ejected
safely
Escapac
28th February 1977
USAF
F-15A
74‑0129
WA
433 FWS / 57 FWW
Collision with F‑5E (landed
safely) on Nellis ranges (NV), 46NM of Nellis AFB (NV)
pilot ejected
safely
Escapac
6th December 1977
USAF
F-15B Eagle
75-0085
WA
433 FWS / 57 FWW
Crashed on Nellis AFB (KLSV)
ranges, Nevada, During an ACT mission
Escapac
Lt. Col. David 'Jake' Jacobson
Commander of 433 FWS killed
Col. William
Hilton Walter III, M.D killed
commander of the Hospital at Nellis AFB
Escapac
FEEDBACK
This is
concerning the accuracy of some of the early F-15 ejections.
I was a dual-qualified pilot/flight surgeon assigned to Luke
AFB, AZ during 1976-79. I flew F-4's as a pilot with the 310
TFTS and was attached to the 555th TFTS as a flight surgeon.
The early model F-15s all had the Escapac ejection system
and not the ACES II. The ACES II system was not in
production when the first F-15s and A-10s came out. I know
that the first 3 ejections listed were all Escapac. I was
the medical member of the accident investigation board for
the 6 DEC 77 accident in which both crew members were
killed. They would have survived with the ACES II system. It
was a very high speed ejection.
Peter R Nash
Col, USAFR (Ret) in email 19th October 2008
information amended 20/10/2008
FEEDBACK
This
is regarding the aircraft listed 75-0085 (very lovingly known as
balls 85) from Nellis AFB Nevada.
I was the
Asst. C/C on that aircraft at the time of the crash. At the time
of the crash the 2 seaters were known as TF-15A's. It was
decades ago but I still remember getting called out of the
hanger by OSI immediately after the crash. I had launched and
recovered Colonel "Jake" Jacobsen many times and he was a great
guy and a fine pilot. He was one of the few pilots that treated
ground crew with respect and a smile.
The cause of
the crash was never exactly determined.
but afaik it was assumed that the Hospital Commander pulled back
on the stick too fast and too hard effectively snowplowing into
the side of a mountain on the Tonopah range. Both pilots
ejected but hit the mountain before the chutes deployed. I was
not allowed to be a part of the recovery but was told that there
were three impacts, 1 plane and 2 seats packs.
I mean no disrespect to the Hospital
Commander in anyway but it was believed to be his fault. I do
not remember him as a person but I am sure he was a fine man.
Because of this crash the Air Force made a policy that never
would two Commanders be on the same plane at the same time. I do
not know if this rule still applies.
Marty Johnson in email
22nd November 2008
8th February 1978
USAF
F-15A Eagle
73-0097
LA
555 TFTS
58 TFTW
Written off due to ground incident.
17th April 1978
USAF
F-15A
75‑0059
BT
53rd TFS
or 525 TFS / 36 TFW
CONFIRM
Engine
flamed
out during ACM with F‑5Esinto North Sea 15 miles SW of Doggersbank,
off the coast of Cromer, Norfolk (UK)
Captain Richard
S. Hauk ejected
safely
x
ACES II
Eight
thousand feet above the North Sea could hear Air Force
Captain Harry B. Johnson, a rattling noise - such as if the
gun of his F-15 "Eagle" fighter fired a volley of machine by
mistake.
But the Knatterton came out of the engines: they were - a
nightmare of every jet pilot - failed both at once.
D. The clatter of her move from idle turbine blades,
which, driven solely by the wind rotated, still.
All
attempts to restart both engines failed again.
. At 650 meters altitude catapulted the 32-year-old
airman with the ejection seat into the open. Johnson
was recovered a short time later by the crew of a fishing
boat.
That was on 15June
this year, the second total loss of engine failure, to the
36th
Jagdgeschwader der US-Luftwaffe registrieren mußte.
Register Fighter Wing of the U.S. Air Force had to.
Bereits am 17.
On
17
April war der F-15-Pilot Richard S. Hauk, auch er über der
Nordsee patrouillierend, von dem Scheppern überrascht worden.
April was the F-15 Pilot Richard S. Hauk, he also patrolling
over the North Sea, has been surprised by the clatter.
Hauk, 31, konnte sich wie Johnson retten. Hauk, 31,
was able to save as Johnson.
The
third fatal crash of an F-15 Eagle ended the Bitburg Air
Force Base on 6
July. Near
the town of Daun Eifel crashed the machine after it was
abruptly ausgespart from the rotting flight with three other
Eagles.
Article
from der spiegel 1978
15th June 1978
USAF
F-15A Eagle
76‑0047
BT
525th TFS
or 53 TFS / 36 TFW
CONFIRM
Crashed into North Sea, 124NM of RAF Alconbury
(UK), during Air Combat Training (ACT)
Captain Henry
[Harry] B. Johnson ejected
safely
x
ACES II
DER SPIEGEL 51/1978
Rattling in the wind
Die amerikanische F-15 "Eagle", vor
kurzem noch als überlegenes Jagdflugzeug
gepriesen, fliegt mit einem.The American F-15 "Eagle", recently
hailed as a superior fighter plane flies with
one.Triebwerks-Defekt.Engine failure.Drei F-15, stationiert in Bitburg,
stürzten ab.Three F-15
stationed in Bitburg, crashed.
Achttausend Meter über der Nordsee hörte
Air-Force-Captain Harry B. Johnson ein
ratterndes Geräusch -- so, als habe die
Bordkanone seiner F-15 "Eagle"-Jagdmaschine
aus Versehen eine Salve abgefeuert.
Eight thousand feet above the North Sea
heard Air Force Captain Harry B. Johnson, a
rattling noise - as if they had fired the
cannon of his F-15 "Eagle" fighter plane
accidentally a volley.
Doch der Knatterton kam aus den Triebwerken:
Sie waren -- Alptraum jedes Jet-Piloten --
beide zugleich ausgefallen. But the
Knatterton came from the engines: they were
- a nightmare every jet pilot - both also
failed.
Das Klirren rührte vom Leerlauf der
Turbinenschaufeln her, die, allein vom
Fahrtwind getrieben, noch rotierten.
The clink of her moved from the idle turbine
blades, which, driven solely by the wind
rotated, yet.
Alle Versuche, die beiden Triebwerke wieder
zu starten, scheiterten. All attempts
to restart both engines again failed.
In 650 Meter Höhe katapultierte sich der 32
Jahre alte Flieger mit dem Schleudersitz ins
Freie. In 650 meters height, the
32-year-old aviator has catapulted to the
ejection seat into the open.
Johnson wurde wenig später von der Besatzung
eines Fischerboots geborgen. Johnson
was rescued shortly afterwards by the crew
of a fishing boat.
Das war, am 15. That was on 15
Juni dieses Jahres, der zweite Totalverlust
durch Triebwerksausfall, den das 36.
June this year, the second total loss due to
engine failure, to the 36th
Jagdgeschwader der US-Luftwaffe registrieren
mußte. Had to register the U.S. Air
Force fighter squadron.
Bereits am 17. On 17
April war der F-15-Pilot Richard S. Hauk,
auch er über der Nordsee patrouillierend,
von dem Scheppern überrascht worden.
April, the F-15 Pilot Richard S. Hauk, he
was also been patrolling the North Sea,
surprised by the clatter.
Hauk, 31, konnte sich wie Johnson retten.
Hauk, 31, could save as Johnson.
Tödlich endete der dritte Absturz einer F-15
Eagle von der Air-Force-Basis Bitburg am 6.
The third fatal crash of an F-15 Eagle from
the Air Force Base Bitburg ended on 6
Juli. July.
Unweit des Eifelstädtchens Daun stürzte die
Maschine ab, nachdem sie unvermittelt aus
dem Rottenflug mit drei anderen Eagles
ausgeschert war. Near the town of
Daun Eifel crashed the machine after it had
swerved suddenly from the rotting flight
with three other Eagles.
Nicht einmal damals, vor 17 Jahren, als sich
die ersten F-104 "Starfighter" in deutsche
Ackerkrume bohrten, wurde eine Jägereinheit
ähnlich geschwind dezimiert. Even
then, 17 years ago, when the first F-104 "Starfighter"
drilled into German topsoil, a fighter unit
was decimated similarly fast.
Die drei Bitburger F-15-Staffeln, insgesamt
72 Eagles, waren erst im Frühjahr 1977 in
die Bundesrepublik verlegt worden.
Bitburger the three F-15 squadrons, a total
of 72 Eagles, had been laid only in the
spring of 1977 in the Federal Republic.
Für General Fred Kyler, Kommodore auf der
Hunsrück-Basis, gab es bei Freund und Feind
nichts Gleichwertiges . For General
Fred Kyler, commodore of the Hunsrück-based,
it did not match with friend and foe.
"Diese Maschine", sagte Kyler noch vor einem
halben Jahr, "verschafft uns eine erhebliche
Überlegenheit" (SPIEGEL 12/13, 1978).
"This machine," Kyler said still half a year
ago, "gives us a significant superiority"
(Spiegel 12/13, 1978).
"Die F-15", rühmte auch der Rüstungskonzern
McDonnell Douglas sein Produkt, "hat alles,
was ein Jagdpilot in der Luft braucht."
"The F-15", also praised the defense
contractor McDonnell Douglas product,
"everything needs a fighter pilot in the air
is."
"Optimal tragfähig, extrem wendig",
lobhudelte die "Welt". "Perfect
sound, extremely agile," lobhudelte the
"world".
In Wahrheit ist das
15-Millionen-Dollar-Flugzeug -- 322
Exemplare wurden bisher ausgeliefert -- nur
mehr beschränkt einsatzfähig. In
truth, the 15-million-dollar aircraft - 322
copies have been delivered - just more
limited operational.
Der Grund dafür sind Triebwerksfehler, die
das Einsatzprofil der Maschine drastisch
einengen: Nur noch in Extremfällen, "wenn es
die taktische Situation erlaubt", dürfen die
schubverstärkenden Nachbrenner eingeschaltet
werden, mit deren Hilfe die F-15 sich auf
zweieinhalbfache Schallgeschwindigkeit
beschleunigen läßt -- so steht es nun im
"Flight Manual", das den F-15-Fliegern
ausgehändigt wurde. The reason for
engine failure, which restrict the use
profile of the machine drastically are: Only
in extreme cases, "if it allows the tactical
situation," allowed the shear reinforcing
afterburner is turned on, with the help of
the F-15 can be accelerated to two and a
half times the speed of sound - so it is now
in "Flight Manual" The F-15 aircraft was
delivered.
Schuld an der schwachen Eagle-Form ist eine
Art Infarkt, der die F-15-Triebwerke (Typenname:
"F-100") jählings lähmen kann. Blame
for the weak-form is a kind of Eagle
infarction, the F-15 engines (type name:
"F-100") can suddenly cripple.
In mittleren bis großen Höhen und bei
geringer Geschwindigkeit sind die Triebwerke
anfällig für einen Defekt, den Techniker als
"Verdichter-Strömungsabriß" kennzeichnen.
In the mid to high altitudes and at low
speed, the engines are prone to identify a
defect, the technician as a "compressor
stall".
Die Triebwerks-Kompressoren verweigern dabei
ihre Leistung, der Maschine droht mangels
Vorwärtsschub der Absturz. The engine
compressors thereby denying its power, the
machine threatens to lack of forward thrust
of the crash.
Zum vorerst letzten Debakel dieser Art kam
es am 1. For the time being last
debacle of this kind occurred on 1
September, als 194 Kilometer vor Cape
Charles (US-Staat Virginia) eine F-15 in den
Atlantik fiel. September, as 194
miles off Cape Charles (U.S. state of
Virginia), an F-15 fell into the Atlantic.
Pilot Bradley F. Faggot, 24, folgte mit dem
Fallschirm nach. Pilot Bradley F.
Faggot, 24, followed by the parachute.
Ungeklärt ist bisher die Ursache des Fehlers.
Is still unclear what caused the error.
Der Verdacht auf eine fehlerhafte
Konstruktion liegt jedoch nahe: Das Problem,
so umschrieben es vier Pentagon-Gutachter,
sei "im komplexen Design" der Pratt &
Whitney-Triebwerke zu suchen. The
suspicion of a faulty design is close,
however: the problem, it described four
Pentagon experts had to look for "in the
complex design" of the Pratt & Whitney
engines.
Für die nächsten beiden Jahre hat die Air
Force eine Viertelmilliarde Dollar
eingeplant, um die Stotterdüsen ihrer Eagle-Staffeln
nachbessern zu lassen. For the next
two years, the Air Force has a quarter of a
billion U.S. dollars planned to be repairing
the nozzles of their stuttering Eagle
squadrons.
Kritiker indes bezweifeln, ob die
Problemtriebwerke damit voll flugtüchtig zu
machen sind -- auch die Quote von
glimpflicher endenden Versagern ist bei den
Eagle-Düsen unverhältnismäßig hoch:
Critics doubt, however, whether the problem
engines are making it fully airworthy - the
rate of less serious failures ending is
disproportionately high in the Eagle-jets:
* Turbinenschaufeln sind in bislang 24
Fällen abgebrochen. * Turbine blades
have been aborted in 24 cases.
Sechsmal schlugen dabei Splitter durchs
Gehäuse der Turbinen; zwei der betroffenen
Flugzeuge wurden schwer beschädigt.
Six times this splinter struck through the
housing of the turbines, two of the affected
aircraft were badly damaged.
* Ungewöhnlich häufig streiken auch die
Treibstoffpumpen der F-15. *
Unusually frequent and the fuel pumps go on
strike the F-15.
Ergebnis: 26mal innerhalb von 16 Monaten
konnten Eagle-Captains nur mit einem
Triebwerk landen. Result: 26 times in
16 months could end up Eagle captains with
only one engine.
Vor allem aber fürchten Pentagon-Experten
den rätselhaften Triebwerksausfall (Flieger-Jargon:
"stall-stagnation"). Above all,
Pentagon experts fear the mysterious engine
failure (pilot-speak: "stall-stagnation").
"Das geht noch, wenn man zwei Düsen hat wie
bei der F-15", sagte kürzlich General Alton
D. Slay vor dem Armed Services Committee des
US-Senats. "This is still, if you
have two jets like the F-15," General Alton
D. Slay recently testified before the Armed
Services Committee of the U.S. Senate.
Bei Flugzeugen mit nur einem Düsenantrieb
aber sei so etwas "unakzeptabel". On
aircraft with jet engines but only one was
something "unacceptable".
Doch genau in dieser Klemme stecken nun die
Militärs. But just stuck in this mess
now the military.
Außer der F-15 nämlich, von der 729 Stück
bestellt wurden, soll auch das Kampfflugzeug
"F-16" mit dem Pratt & Whitney-Triebwerk
ausgerüstet werden. Besides the F-15,
namely, of the 729 units have been ordered,
should also combat aircraft "F-16" with the
Pratt & Whitney engine fitted.
In den Nato-Luftwaffen der Niederlande,
Dänemarks und Norwegens sind die
einstrahligen Jagdbomber als Starfighter-Ersatz
gedacht. During the NATO air forces
in the Netherlands, Denmark and Norway, the
single beam fighter bombers as a star
fighter replacement are expected.
1388 Stück will die US Air Force beim
F-16-Hersteller General Dynamics kaufen.
1388 piece of the U.S. Air Force wants to
buy the F-16 manufacturer General Dynamics.
Begonnen hatte die Misere bereits 1973, als
das Versuchstriebwerk von Pratt & Whitney
Feuer fing und explodierte. Misery
had begun as early as 1973, when the trial
of Pratt & Whitney engine caught fire and
exploded.
Um dennoch den Zeitplan einhalten zu können,
setzte der damalige Projekt-Chef der F-15
kurzerhand die Qualifikations-Standards für
die Triebwerke herunter. In order to
still meet the schedule, put the former
project director of the F-15 simply the
qualification standards for the engines
down.
Trotz ihrer Schwächen schaffte die
F-100-Düse so den Dauertest. Despite
its shortcomings, the F-100 jet managed so
the endurance test.
Nutznießer des Schadens ist, kurioserweise,
der Konzern United Technologies, die
Mutterfirma des F-100-Produzenten Pratt &
Whitney. Beneficiaries of the damage
is, curiously enough, the company, United
Technologies, the parent company of the
F-100-producers Pratt & Whitney.
Denn mit dem grünen Licht für die
Serienproduktion, so war in dem
Rüstungskontrakt festgehalten worden, hatte
die Regierung zugleich garantiert, für
nachfolgende Änderungen an den Düsen
aufzukommen. Because with the green
light for series production, had been held
in the arms contract, the Government had
also guaranteed to pay for any subsequent
change to the nozzles.
United Technologies wuchs dank des
F-100-Auftrags zum drittgrößten
Rüstungsunternehmen in den USA.
United Technologies rose thanks to the F-100
mission's third largest defense contractor
in the United States.
1629 Triebwerke -- Wert: 3,9 Milliarden
Dollar -- wurden bisher fest bestellt.
1629 engines - Value: $ 3.9 billion - have
been ordered to determine.
Für zusätzliche Triebwerke will das Pentagon
bis 1983 noch einmal fünf Milliarden Dollar
ausgeben. For additional engines, the
Pentagon wants to spend until 1983 for
another five billion dollars.
Allerdings will nun auch Alton D. Slay, Chef
der Luftwaffen-Programme, "nicht der
Gefangene nur eines Triebwerksproduzenten
sein". However, now wants to Alton D.
Slay, Chief of Air Force programs, "not only
be the prisoner of an engine manufacturer."
Als Alternative erwägt Slay, für die Jäger
jene General-Electric-Düsen umbauen zu
lassen, die bereits den Superbomber "B-1"
angetrieben haben. Slay is
considering as an alternative, to have it
rebuilt for the hunters that General
Electric's jet, which have already driven
the Super Bomber "B-1".
Zusätzliche Kosten: eine halbe Milliarde
Dollar. Additional cost: half a
billion dollars.
United Technologies freilich sieht in den
Mängeln der F-100 nur "ein Problem der
Feinabstimmung". United Technologies
course looks at the deficiencies of the
F-100 only "a problem of fine tuning."
So seien bereits 20 Millionen Dollar
investiert worden, um ein Reglersystem
auszubessern, das die Treibstoffzufuhr in
die Nachbrenner der Düsen kontrolliert.
BE AUTHORIZED already invested $ 20 million
was to repair a regulator system that
controls the fuel supply to the afterburner
of the jet.
Bei der einstrahligen F-16, die von 1979 an
geflogen werden soll, werden außerdem die
Treibstoffpumpen doppelt ausgelegt.
In the single beam, F-16, which is to be
flown from 1979, also the fuel pumps are
redundant.
Auf Skepsis stoßen unterdes die Generals-Sprüche,
mit denen die in Deutschland stationierten
Eagles anfänglich gefeiert wurden. To
encounter skepticism, meanwhile the
general's awards, which the Eagles were
stationed in Germany initially celebrated.
"Ohne Nachbrenner", so bullert nun ein Pilot
des Bitburger F-15-Eagles-Jagdgeschwaders,
"bin ich im Luftkampf mit der "MiG-23"
aufgeschmissen." "Without
afterburners," said one pilot now roars of
Bitburg F-15 Eagle fighter squadron, "I'm in
a dogfight with the" MiG-23 "screwed."
6th July 1978
USAFE
F-15A Eagle
76-0053
BT
53 TFS / 36 TFW Bitburg
AB
Crashed 13 miles NNW of Bitburg. Flew into ground having
separated from flight in cloud
1st Lt. Mike Mark
killed
ACES II
1st September 1978
USAF
F-15A Eagle
75-0018
FF
71 TFS / 1 TFW
Crashed into the
Atlantic Ocean of the Coast of Virginia
.
I'm not sure if it is this one for sure. But it was a Langley jet that
crashed in the Pacific ocean and it was in the 1977 to early 1981 time
frame. I'm 90% sure it was the one pasted.
1Lt Brad Fagot (now Forest) was flying 1 v 1 BFM out of Langley AFB and his
jet was configured with two wing tanks. He went into a spin . . . probably
out of a slow speed scissors . . . and managed to get it out but then went
into a secondary spin during the dive recovery. My guess is that there was
probably fuel in the tanks so he may have had an imbalance. But even without
an imbalance, the weight adds to the inertia once a jet gets into a spin. He
subsequently ejected safely. I knew him personally and though he was a
crappy briefer, he was a hell of a pilot and great flight lead.
What I heard was that they thought the stabilators/rudders lost much of the
air flow over them due to the high AOA and the wing tanks blocking that
airflow. Because of that, we didn't fly full up with 2 or 3 bags after that
accident, only clean or with a centerline. I hear they might be flying BFM
with two bags again but am not sure.
With the old sim, we never practiced spin recovery. With the newer full
visual sim, the sim can be put into spins with different configurations so
today's eagle pilots are much better prepared. It's a very common rookie
mistake to get into a secondary spin by being too aggressive on the dive
recovery after getting out of the initial spin.
19th December 1978
USAF
F-15A Eagle
75‑0063
BT
525 TFS / 36 TFW
fire during ACM mission.
Crashed
13'/2NM south of Ahlhorn,
Schleswig Holstein, Germany
pilot ejected
safely
ACES II
28th December 1978
USAF
F-15A Eagle
75‑0064
BT
?? TFS / 36 TFW
one engine caught fire and was
shut down, remaining engine failed. Crashed 2NM S of Daun, Rheinland-Pfaltz,
Eifel, Germany
1st Lt Thomas Mascot ejected
safely
ACES II
29th December 1978
USAF
F-15A Eagle
74-0136
WA
433 FWS / 57 FWW
Crashed at Nellis
AFB, Nevada
.
RIGHT International,
12 May 1979
page 1549
DETAILS have been released of the
circumstances surrounding the loss of five McDonnell Douglas
F-15s of the 36th Tactical Fighter Wing, Bitburg, Germany,
between April and December last year. The following summaries
were issued by the US Air Forces in Europe:
April 17, 1978
The mishap aircraft was No 3 in a three-ship
flight on a Dissimilar Air Combat Tactics (Dact) mission against
four F-5Es. The incident took place in the Aggressor Training
Area, 125 n.m. north-east of RAF Alconbury, UK. During the
engagement No 3 called "bingo minus one," indicating that his
remaining fuel was 1001b below the prebriefed fuel state for
return to base. The F-15s disengaged and began recovery. Two
minutes later No 3 called that he had 4,0001b of fuel remaining
but no fuel in the feed tanks. The starboard engine then flamed
out, followed two minutes later by the port engine. Anticipating
a complete loss of flight controls the pilot ejected at
14,000ft, sustaining minor injuries in the process.
Adler 53 (the mishap aircraft) was one of
two F-15s on a Dact mission against two F-5Es. The aircraft had
just begun conversion to a gun attack on the lead F-5 when he
called to terminate the engagement. Flames were observed coming
from both engines. Adler 53 established a glide and reported
that one engine had stagnated and that the other refused to
start. The aircraft continued to descend. After passing through
a haze layer the pilot ejected safely, 3min 30sec after the
problem first arose.
July 6, 1978
The accident F-15 was one of a flight of
four en route to an Air Combat Tactics/Air Refuelling mission.
After take-off from Bitburg the aircraft formated for a standard
instrument departure and established radio and radar contact
with departure control. Shortly after, the departure radar
failed and the flight leader, Adler 21, was: informed that radar
contact had been lost. Adler 21 told departure control that he
was in visual meteorological conditions (free of cloud) and was
instructed to continue the instrument departure. Radar contact
was re-established one minute later, by which time the flight
was flying level in cloud at 7,000ft. Departure control
requested all aircraft except the flight, leader to switch off
their radar transponders. Shortly after, Adler 24 called "Four
is lost wingman," indicating that he had lost contact with the
flight. Adler 21 acknowledged. Seventeen seconds later Adler 23
called "Two-three is lost wingman." The flight leader
acknowledged and informed departure control of his lost wingmen,
requesting permission to climb above the clouds. The flight was
cleared to climb to 20,000ft, but Adler 21 levelled off above
the clouds at 9,500ft. Adler 23 rejoined the flight visually. A
radio, radar and visual search failed to locate Adler 24. The
aircraft crashed 13 n.m. north-northeast of Bitburg. The canopy
was still on the aircraft and ejection had not been initiated.
The pilot was killed on impact.
December 19, 1978
A three-aircraft flight left Bitburg for an
Air Combat Tactics/Air Refuelling mission. Transit to the
training area was uneventful. Combat started when Growl 17 (the
mishap aircraft) made a radar lock on Growl 18 and began a rear
attack. The aircraft closed on its target, attempting a
high-angle gun shot. Growl 18 saw Growl 17 overshoot and burst
into flames, and its pilot called "punch out, punch out!" Growl
16 saw a parachute shortly before the aircraft hit the ground.
The pilot received minor injuries.
December 28, 1978
The mishap aircraft was on an Air Combat
Tactics mission. After the third engagement, the pilot entered a
chandelle manoeuvre. The wingman reported fire coming from the
nozzle area, probably from the starboard engine. The pilot cut
the afterburner on the port engine, shut off the fuel to the
other engine and entered a shallow dive to maintain airspeed.
During the recovery the left engine wound down and attempts to
air start both engines were unsuccessful. The pilot ejected
safely.
FLIGHT 13th January 1979 p.72
FOLLOWING the loss of a US Air
Force F-15 in West Germany on December 28—the second within ten days—maintenance procedures of the 36th Tactical Fighter Wing (TFW) are to be reviewed. Apart from the aircraft standing air-defence alert, all Bitburg-based Eagles have been
restricted to dry thrust only. The restrictions will be lifted once the maintenance review has been satisfactorily completed and the 36th TFW aircraft have had a revised jet fuel starter system fitted. The system, which allows ground starts without external power, is to be modified to enable the pilot to restart the Eagle's Pratt & Whitney F100s while flying at low altitude. All but one of the aircraft operated by the 32nd TFS at Soesterberg, the Netherlands, have already been modified and are therefore unrestricted. The latest accident The latest accident, near Daun, resulted in the ninth F-15 loss. The pilot, 1st Lt Thomas Mascot, ejected safely. The 36th TFW has lost five F-15s since April last year. An Air Force spokesman says that the accidents had no single cause. Four have been charged to operational procedures, three to maintenance defects and two are still being investigated. The F-15 has so far accumulated 135,000 flying hours, and the loss rate at this point compares favourably with those of a number of US fighters. Comparative loss rates per 100,000hr at the
135,000hr mark are as follows:
16th February 1979
USAF
F-15A Eagle
77-0107
HO
9 TFS / 49 TFW
Crashed on Nellis Ranges, Nevada.
12th March 1979
USAF
F-15A Eagle
77-0076
HO
9 TFS / 49 TFW
25th April 1979
MACAIR
F-15B Eagle
77-0167
McDonnell Douglas
St. Louis
Crashed near
Fredericktown, on test flight
McDonnell Douglas test pilot Gary L. Kincaid, (34)
killed
controls failed
during take off from Bitburg.
or
Landing
CONFIRM ???
pilot ejected
safely
ACES II
13th September 1979
USAF
F-15A Eagle
76-0085
WA
57 FWW
3rd October 1979
USAF
F-15A Eagle
77-0072
HO
49 TFW
Crashed following
mid-air collision
3rd October 1979
USAF
F-15A Eagle
77-0061
HO
49 TFW
4th March 1980
USAFE
F-15A Eagle
75-0070
BT
36 TFW
Crashed near Baden-Baden, Baden-Wurtemberg, Germany.
6th March 980
USAFE
F-15A Eagle
76-0082
BT
525th Tactical Fighter Squadron
36 TFW
Crashed near Bitburg, Rheinland-Pfaltz, Eifel, Germany.
Capt. Barry William Barr
killed in the crash.
ACES II
10th March1980
USAF
F-15A Eagle
75-0023
FF
27 TFS / 1 TFW
Burnt out on flight line at Langley AFB, Virginia.
I was a just a skeeterwinged pup when this aircraft caught fire. I went
back to the dorm and got my camera, taking several photos - this is
probably the most interesting one of the bunch.
We heard that fuel had leaked from the fuel line into the wing root taxi
light - fuel ignited when the pilot turned on the lamps.
BTW great web site. Also for memorializing some of the folks lost in
these mishaps. I had forgotten Maj Kuehler's name, but remembered who
he was and events of the day he crashed.
V/R
Kevin
Kevin B. Goyer, EIT, BS EnvE
Environmental Engineer
in email 25/01/2008
PHOTOS to ADD from desktop
This is about the Utrecht crash which happened before I got to Bitburg but
heard about from guys who knew. Apparently, during that time, they had no
official demo pilots so different guys were permitted to do show type
maneuvers at some European air shows. (During the mid-80's and afterwards,
they had two IP's who pretty much did demos almost every weekend during the
summers and went through a training program and were monitored very closely
like they are now. The F-15 was the big star of air shows back then and was
in great demand.)
Apparently, the pilot did the air show for one runway but was then surprised
in the final turn after reporting gear when he was required to land on
another runway. Being a typical fighter pilot, he tried to salvage the
landing instead of going around. I'm pretty sure the end of the landing
runway required a much tighter turn. The bottom line is that he put the jet
in afterburner at the end, sheared the gear, and landed with the burners
still full on. I'm not 100%. But I'm pretty sure he egressed with the
engines running and the fire crews tried to stall out the engines with fire
hoses but the water basically went right through the engine and out the aft
end. I don't know if they were successful eventually or if somebody went to
the cockpit or if the engines finally quit due to damage.
If you look at the left picture, you can see that the engine nozzles are
closed. With the gear down and power IDLE, the nozzles should be over 80%
open. So I think this story is true. I have an old memory of a video of what
I just said as well that may have shown the water being poured into the
intakes.
25th July 1980
USAFE
F-15A Eagle
76-0013
BT
36 TFW
21st January 1981
USAF
F-15B Eagle
77-0164
WA
57 FWW
"Crashed after a collision with F-5E 74-1517 57 FWW ""WA""
over Nellis ranges, Nevada."
17th February 1981
USAF
F-15A Eagle
76-0065
LA
405 TTW
Crashed into Pacific Ocean.
23rd June 1981
USAFE
F-15C Eagle
79-0040
BT
36 TFW
Crashed 15 miles from Bremen, Niedersachsen, Germany.
A United States Air Force F-15 jet crashed on a training mission
15 miles northeast of Bremen today, killing the pilot, officials
announced. A United States Air Force spokesman identified the
pilot as Capt. George T. Hall of Goodlettsville, Tenn.
Crashed on landing at Soesterberg AFB, Utrecht, The
Netherlands. Performing at an airshow
Captain Dennis R.
Kuehler
egressed on ground
NO EJECTION
Killed in crash
8th June 1987
ACES II
FEEDBACK
I would like to add a
few things to a couple of your F-15 crashes of which I have
knowledge. First the 80-0007 crash at Soesterberg.
80-0007 was selected to go to the show because it was a brand
new jet that the 525 TFW had just received from the factory days
before. It had a flight time to Bitburg from St. Louis of 10.5
hours and then had one acceptance flight lasting about 1.2 hours
before going to Soesterberg. 80-0007 was the newest F-15 that
ever crashed with less than 15 flying hours total. The paint
job was nice and didn't even need a touchup before going. MSGT
Ray Langhammer who was the production super on the trip is said
to have commented to his troops after witnessing the crash,
"well that one won't be needing a BPO (Basic Postflight)
tonight".
Crashed near Panama City after collision with another F-15
on refuelling mission.
??????????????
2nd November 1981
USAF
F-15A Eagle
75-0051
EG
33rd TFW
Crashed near Panama City after collision with another F-15
on refuelling mission.
Major John C.
Booker
[confirm name ??]
died as a result of that crash – his body was never
recovered
15th December 1981
USAF
F-15A Eagle
73-0106
LA
461st
Tac Ftr Trg Sq
Luke AFB
Crashed
near Tonopah
near Phoenix, Arizona
Capt. Thomas Worthington Brundige IV 29
[temporarily assigned to the 461st
Tactical Fighter Training Squadron at Luke Air Force Base, AZ.
His regular assignment was at Langley Air Force Base, VA]
killed
6th April 1982
USAF
F-15C Eagle
78‑0524
ZZ
18th TFW
into Pacific Ocean 40 miles NW
of Okinawa (Japan) due to fuel leak
pilot ejected
safely
ACES II
22nd December 1982
53 TFS
Zulu-alert mission. Crashed near Herschbach, Rheinland-Pfaltz,
Germany
Don't know much about this one. It was a couple years before my time. But I
heard that it was likely the pilot accidentally put his lap belt over his
main oxygen hose while strapping in for a practice scramble. When we
scrambled in those days, it was a haul ass situation with things happening
very fast. Many guys have accidentally connected their lap belts over their
oxygen hoses including me. Nothing bad happens until you turn your heat to
the left and stretch to see even further left and aft. Then the hose can
become disconnected by the force (designed that way to make it easier to
egress during emergencies). Then you're breathing cockpit air.
What's supposed to happen is that a little valve comes down on the pilot end
of the hose and makes it difficult to breath so you know you have a problem.
But it is a very, very simple valve that can easily be jammed in the open
position. So a pilot flying at high altitude might not notice the very
gradual onset of hypoxia. On bad weather days in Germany, we would fly in
the high areas (typically 305 W or E) in the 30-35 thousand altitude range.
The cockpit pressure would be about 15000 feet give or take at that
altitude. So it is probably likely there might have been some kind of
cockpit pressurization problem as well. Normally, when there is, we start to
get oxygen mask air under pressure to compensate for the increased cockpit
altitude. But if his hose was disconnected, he would not have gotten that
warning.
It's likely that he was alive but unconscious when his jet struck the
ground.
28th December 1982
USAF
F-15C Eagle
78-0481
ZZ
18 TFW
Crashed into Pacific
Ocean, 92 miles NE of Okinawa, Japan, after mid-air collision
one pilot ejected
safely, one pilot was killed
DETAILS
ACES II
28th December 1982
USAF
F-15C Eagle
78-0540
ZZ
18 TFW
It is now believed that the pilot who died in the mid-air
was Capt Edwin "Cowboy”
" W. Cardin USAF. Can anyone confirm this or add extra details ???
FEEDBACK
I was on the flight line
the day on 12/28/82 as a crew chief on another f-15 in the same flight. The
pilot killed was Capt. Ed ‘Cowboy” Cardins and the pilot who was rescued was
Lt. Billy Mitchell I believe. I was a young 18 year old teenager at the
time and I have never forgotten that feeling on a Jet not coming back and us
losing a great pilot.
Michael
Sanford in email 22nd May 2008
"An Air Force pilot from Cape Girardeau and his fighter aircraft are
missing after a midair collision 93 miles west of Okinawa; an extensive
air-sea search is being conducted for Capt. Edwin Cardin, son of Mr. and
Mrs. Riley Cardin of Cape Girardeau"
4th January 1983
13.50hr
USAF
F-15C Eagle
80‑0036
FF
94th TFS 1 TFW
in Atlantic Ocean 150 miles of
North Carolina coast
Capt. James D. Mahoney
ejected
safely and was rescued by USCG HH‑3F
from Elizabeth City, NC 50 minutes later
ACES II
4th February 1983
USAF
F-15A Eagle
76‑0081
EG
59th TFS 33 TFW
uncontrollable roll.
Crashed
near Tyndall AFB (FL)
pilot ejected
safely
ACES II
9th May 1983
USAF
F-15A Eagle
77‑0094
HO
7th TFS 49 TFW
control lost during rudder
roll. Crashed at White Sands missile range,
New Mexico.
pilot ejected
safely
ACES II
1st June 1983
USAF
F-15C Eagle
79-0071
BT
53rd TFS 36 TFW
Crashed, after
mid-air
collision
near Kusel, Rheinland-Pfaltz,
Germany
Pilot ejected
safely
ACES II
1st June 1983
USAF
F-15C Eagle
80-0008
BT
53rd TFS 36 TFW
Capt. Richardo "Rich" Kendel
died
21st June 1983
USAF
F-15C Eagle
78-0507
ZZ
67 TFS "Fighting Cocks"
18 FTW
Kadena AB, Okinawa
Osan AB, S. Korea, during Team
Spirit.
mechanical problems, RTB, could not get left main down, landed and attempted to
take the barrier/cable. Starting to exit the runway at
about 90 knots, before engaging the cable.
Regarding the F-15C crash and ejection on June
21st 1983 at Osan AB. I was assigned to the 67th AMU
and was on this TDY to Osan. It was indeed 78-507 that crashed. There was
minimal damage to the aircraft since the pilot did not jettison the center
line fuel tank. The left wing tip was destroyed and that was all the
external damage. Internally, the ejection burnt virtually everything in Bay
5 the area behind the cockpit which contains dozens of relays and several
wiring harnesses. 78-507 flew back to Kadena AB 30 days later using parts
which were cannibalized from another F-15C at Kadena AB. There is an
excellent picture of 78-507 when it was assigned to the 60th
FS/33d FW in 2005 (http://www.airliners.net/photo/994944/L/).
F-15C 78-507 may be the only F-15 to fly again after a pilot ejected.
Attached is the 67 TFS patch.
Mark Rasque
in
email 20th March 2011
6th October 1983
USAF
F-15A Eagle
75‑0076
EG
59th TFS 33 TFW
Crashed following collision with F‑5E 74‑1509/WA
57th FWW, which crashed (pilot still missing), 45 miles NW of Cold Lake
pilot ejected
safely
ACES II
9th March 1984
USAF
F-15A Eagle
74-0094
AK
21 TFW 43 TFS
Crashed in Alaska.
Captain George M.
Rampulla
ejected
ACES II
10th April 1984
USAF
F-15C Eagle
79‑0044
BT
525th TFS 36 TFW
near Lommersdorf, Rheinland-Pfaltz,
Germany
pilot ejected
safely
ACES II
17th August 1984
USAF
F-15B Eagle
74-0139
AK
21 TFW 43 TFS Elmendorf
crashed 70
miles west of Talkeetna Ak, 90 miles northwest of Elmendorf
Captain Benjamin
"Ben" A. Cotharin
killed
Staff Sgt. Russell C.
Johnson
killed
Regarding the crash of the F-15B in August of 1984, the plane
piloted by Capt Ben Cotharin took off from Elmendorf AFB -- and
"Elmendorf" and crashed near Talkeetna. There is no such town "Palkeetna".
FEEDBACK
Good
morning,
I am a
SMSgt in the USAF I am a 2W191 weapons loader and have some
information about one F-15 crash in Alaska for you.
Acft
74-0139 was assigned to the 21 TFW, 43 TFS and crashed 70
miles west of Talkeetna Ak on 17 Aug 1984. This was a F-15
B (two-seater). I know this as I was stationed in Alaska at
Elmendorf from May 1983 - May 1993.
I cannot
remember the pilot’s name, but I distinctly remember this
crash as the backseater was Russel C. Johnson, a weapons
loader, that had earned an incentive ride for winning a load
competition and that is why he was in the back seat. I
never saw the official report, other maintainers told me
they were performing a loop and were too low/slow and hit
the side of a mountain nose in. That is an unconfirmed
rumor! The fact is, the plane crashed with an incentive
rider and was a tragic loss at the time for Elmendorf and
the flight line maintainers.
Hope this
info helps. Great site and thanks for all the research.
Jerry O.
Edwards,
SMSgt, USAF
Maintenance Operations Flight
in email
27th March 2008
17th or 21st August 1984
USAF
F-15B Eagle
75-0087
TY
325 TTW
Crashed into Gulf of Mexico after colliding with F-4E
68-0535 526 TFS / 86 TFW ""RS"
pilot ejected
safely
ACES II
was an intelligence officer with the 21st TFW serving the F-15
pilots of the 43 TFS and a T-33 squadron. If you want more
details about the F-15 crashes, you might contact Frank Condefer
--
http://www.flight41.org/BIOS/condifer.htm
I was surprised that there was not more accurate information
about the F-15 aircraft crashes involving the 43 TFS of the 21
TFW, Alaska Air Command between March of 1984 and September of
1985. In that 18 month time period we lost five aircraft. One
was a two-seater, F-15B you have accurately described for August
17th, 1984. When the prowess of a/c 74-0120 was described, it
wasn't taken into consideration that when the F-15s we had in
Alaska were in use, they were all existing and operating in
extremely cold weather conditions for the first time, and none
of them were new aircraft. Some of the crashes were the result
of the extra stresses due to the extreme cold weather. The
aircraft was constantly being re-engineered to help to adapt it
to the cold weather.
Concerning, the first and last crashes --
on 9 March '84 and on 9 Sept '85, the pilots ejected safely.
The pilot on 9 March '84, was Capt George Rampulla. The pilot
on 9 Sep 85 was a young Lt whose first name was Chris.
The crash on 20 Mar 85 occurred during
Team Spirit '85 in South Korea. We were deployed to Kwang Ju AB
on the southwest corner of the peninsula. Out Wing Commander,
Col Pat Paxton crashed into the Yellow Sea and was killed while
taking part in the first mission the 43 TFS participated in for
the Exercise. I was the Intel briefing officer and briefed him
and the other pilots from our squadron who flew that mission.
Regarding the crash of the F-15B in August
of 1984, the plane piloted by Capt Ben Cotharin took off from
Elmendorf AFB -- and "Elmendorf" and crashed near Talkeetna.
There is no such town "Palkeetna".
On 24 June 85, a pilot named Daniel was
taking off to return to Elmendorf AFB, after standing alert to
intercept Soviet bombers off the coast of Alaska at Galena AB.
A malfunction occurred and he was not able to eject, and was
killed in the crash.
I hope this helps a bit. I am working on getting the full names
of the pilots whose first names were Chris and Daniel.
Sincerely,
20th March 1985
USAF
F-15A Eagle
74-0120
AK
43 TFS
crashed into the
Yellow Sea
Col Pat R. Paxton
killed
ACES II
FEEDBACK
I was assigned to
Nellis AFB as an F-15 crew chief from Feb 1977 until March 1980.
I was sad to learn that my aircraft, 74-0120 died on March 20,
1985.
This aircraft was one of the most efficient and well kept
aircraft while stationed at Nellis. It was part of the ACEVAL/AIMVAL
test program. At one point during my tenure as its assgined crew
chief the aircraft flew 28 consective sorties code one. I take
pride in that as its crew chief, but 120 had a history of
exceptional flight performance both before I was assigned as its
crew chief and after I PCS'd and another crew chief took my
place.
I read the list of F-15 crashes and ejections with great
interest.
I was on the line the day 74-0129 had the midair collision with
the F-5. Major Merrick was the pilot of the F-15, I believe his
first name was Russell. His first flight back in the air
after the incident was in my aircraft, 74-0111. During our walk
around inspection I told Maj. it was good to see him back.
He told me he had punched out of an F-4 when he was in Viet
Nam. He then paused and looked at me and said the Air Force
grounds a pilot after a 3rd ejection.
"I wont ever punch out again, if there is a next time, I will
play like the Navy and go down with the ship".
The F-5 had video footage of the collision. The F-5 and F-15
were flying an ACEVAL/AIMVAL training mission 1 v 1. At some
point during the "dog fight" they turned into each other and one
of the dummy missile attached to the wing missle rail struck the
F-15 just aft of the air refueling door. The F-5 flew through
the F-15s twin tails with its wings perpendicular to the F-15s
wings. Major Merrick declared an IFE and intended to return to
Nellis. He told me that he could see flames coming up the
backbone of the aircraft and decided it was time to leave and
ejected.
I was also friends with SrA Gina Miller, the crew chief of
74-0136 the day it crashed, and A1C Steve Hinds, the crew chief
of 75-0055 when it crashed.
I was also working the line the day 75-00085 crashed and we lost
Col. Jacobson.
James Ratcliff Msgt, USAF (retired)
in email 15th November 2008
The crash on 20 Mar 85 occurred during Team Spirit '85 in South
Korea. We were deployed to Kwang Ju AB on the southwest corner
of the peninsula. Our Wing Commander, Col Pat Paxton crashed
into the Yellow Sea and was killed while taking part in the
first mission the 43 TFS participated in for the Exercise. I
was the Intel briefing officer and briefed him and the other
pilots from our squadron who flew that mission.
20 Mar 1985: Colonel Pat
Paxton, Commander, 21st Tactical Fighter Wing, was killed in a
Class A Flight Mishap when his F-15A, 74-0120, crashed into the
Yellow Sea during the deployment of the 43rd Tactical Fighter
Squadron to Korea for exercise Team Spirit. Naval aircraft and
members of Colonel Paxton’s flight conducted an initial search
followed by an HC-130 and naval vessels which arrived shortly
afterwards. The search area covered 1,300 square miles. Navy
vessels recovered aircraft debris and Colonel Paxton’s body. A
memorial service attended by more than 500 people was held in
Chapel Three, Elmendorf AFB. An honor guard lined the sidewalk
to the chapel and four F-15s flew a missing man formation
flight. Colonel Paxton’s funeral was held in Eaton, OH, with
interment in Arlington National Cemetery on 26 March. The U.S.
flag in front of the AAC headquarters building was flown at half
mask until the internment. (Cloe, Hist, AAC,
1985, p. 271.)
Monday 24th June 1985
USAF
F-15A Eagle
74-0087
AK
43 TFS
Elmendorf AFB
Galena
The pilot was taking
off to return to Elmendorf AFB, after standing alert to
intercept Soviet bombers off the coast of Alaska at Galena AB. Crashed into Yukon river, Alaska.
Lt. Daniel Sullivan
A malfunction occurred and he unable to eject
killed
Body recovered
from the aircraft on Saturday 29th June 1985
ACES II
Salvage company searchers using
sonar devices located the cockpit section in a muddy, swift-moving bend of the
Yukon river along with the body of Lt. Sullivan still strapped to his seat.
The plane's ordnance was located in October of 1985
FEEDBACK
The 24 Sep 85 crash at Galena AK was Lt Dan
Sullivan. He was a friend of mine. Played on the Elmendorf soccer team
with him. Just wanted to make sure his name was complete.
Scott Cessna
EAFB AK
1984-1987
in email 24th March 2011
updated 24th March 2011
9th September 1985
USAF
F-15A Eagle
74-0090
AK
43 TFS
Crashed in Alaska.
Lt Chris ???
ejected
ACES II
5th November 1985
USAF
F-15A Eagle
??-????
AK
21 TFW
16th December 1985
USAF
F-15D Eagle
84-0042
AD
3246 TW
Crashed into Gulf of Mexico.
2nd January 1986
USAF
F-15C Eagle
80-0037
IS
57 FIS
Crashed into Atlantic Ocean.
pilot Steve
Nelson was killed
ACES II
FEEDBACK
The 2 Jan 86 crash in Iceland of tail 80-0037.
The pilot Steve
Nelson was killed. He had just previously converted
from the F-4. I flew F-4s with Steve and left Iceland in
December.
Tom Martin
in email 4th April 2008
7th January 1986
USAF
F-15C Eagle
79-0061
BT
525 TFS
36th Tactical Fighter Wing
Bitburg Air Base
Crashed near Rimschweiler,
Saarland, Germany after mid-air collision.
One
civilian on the ground killed
Col. Rudolph U.
Zuberbuhler
ejected
suffered minor injuries
ACES II
7th January 1986
USAF
F-15C Eagle
80-0032
BT
525 TFS
36th Tactical Fighter Wing
Bitburg Air Base
Captain Craig Dean
Lovelady
killed
pic
ZWEIBRUECKEN, West Germany Two U.S. Air Force
F-15 jet fighter planes collided during a training flight today,
killing one of the pilots and an elderly man on the ground, West
German police said.
Four civilians were reported injured by falling debris.
A statement from Air Force headquarters at Ramstein Air Base
identified the pilot killed in the accident as Capt. Craig D.
Lovelady, 29, of Glendale, Ariz. No identification was given for
the German civilian.
Two United States Air Force F-15
fighters collided in midair today and
crashed near the French border, killing
a pilot and a civilian and injuring at
least five other people, the police
said.
A police spokesman said one of the
planes plowed into a row of houses and
set them on fire, while the other plane
went down in open country.
The headquarters of the United States
Air Force in Europe at the Air Base at
Ramstein identified the dead pilot as
Capt. Craig D. Lovelady, 29 years old,
of Glendale, Ariz.
The civilian was identified as Ernst
Pirmann, 60, who was hit by debris.
The surviving pilot, who suffered minor
injuries, was identified as Col. Rudolph
U. Zuberbuhler, a director of operations
for the 17th Air Force at the United
States Air Base at Sembach.
A spokesman for the United States Armed
Forces in West Germany said the planes
belonged to the 36th Tactical Fighter
Wing and were on a routine training
sortie from the United States Air Base
at Bitburg.
NYT 8th January 1986
Capt Lovelady had graduated from Fighter Weapons school, it was
his son's third birthday and he was training mission practicing
BFMs. They could not get to his body for many house because
there was 940
rounds of TP Ammo going off.
Mary K. Balding
in email 29th October 2007
FEEDBACK
As a former egress systems technician, I love your site and I
thought I'd offer the following account regarding the USAF F-15
mid-air collision listed on 7 Jan 1986:
I personally witnessed this horrible accident from the ground at
Zweibrucken Air Base in Germany. As I was performing some
mid-afternoon maintenance on an RF-4C Phantom which was parked
outside, I observed the two mishap F-15's, which were
from Bitburg Air Base located northwest of Zweibrucken, flying
towards the south at approximately 7,000 - 10,000 feet in
standard wingman formation. When almost directly overhead, the
two F-15's began to bank towards the west. The first jet
(#1) was in lead position and appeared to be turning tighter
than the second jet (#2) which was trailing slightly behind and
off of #1's starboard wing. As the turn progressed, #2 appeared
to be either trying to catch up to #1 in order to maintain his
formation position or maneuvering to change his position
when he suddenly crashed into #1 with #2's twin vertical tail
fins appearing to impact directly beneath #1's forward
fuselage. I did not observe any type of canopy jettison or
ejection from #1 but I witnessed an object coming out of #1's
cockpit which I was later informed had been #1's ejection seat
and pilot being forced upward thru the canopy and out of the
aircraft by the impact. As the two aircraft separated after
impact, the canopy of #2 jettisoned and the pilot ejected.
At this time, I briefly looked around me as coworkers who also
observed the accident made various exclamations like "Holy
shit!". When I again looked up, I observed the two pilots
descending by their parachutes as the two F-15's were falling
from the sky. One F-15 appeared to be falling directly
towards the base while the other followed
a trajectory towards the nearby village of Rimschweiler which
was located just outside the western perimeter of our base. In
addition to the two falling aircraft, we were also concerned
about the debris we observed falling towards us which consisted
of external tanks, a couple large tail fin or wing segments,
etc. and thus we quickly sought cover inside the nearby hardened
aircraft shelter.
Shortly thereafter, both aircraft and the
debris began impacting the ground with one aircraft crashing
into the village of Rimschweiler where it killed a German
civilian who was working inside a barn-type structure. If I
remember correctly, the second aircraft impacted a vacant field
on or near the air base. The debris fell not only upon the base
where it damaged several cars & structures but also upon the
nearby autobahn and areas surrounding the base without causing
any major damage. Fortunately, no other personnel were
seriously injured or killed on the ground.
After hearing the two aircraft impact the ground, I and the
others cautiously peered skyward from within the aircraft
shelter's open doors to observe one of the pilots still
descending by parachute (later determined to be the pilot of
#1). He didn't appear to be controlling his descent or making
any movements as he glided towards a group of trees where rescue
personnel subsequently found him to be a fatality. NOTE: at the
time, there was some uncertainty over how pilot #1 manually
separated from the seat and deployed his parachute since his
ACES-II ejection seat was not fired (this was confirmed during a
cursory visual assessment at the site of seat/ground
impact which indicated the twin side-mounted ejection handles
were still stowed, the pitch stabilization control assembly/vernier
rocket located on the bottom of the seat was not activated, and
the drogue/stabilization chute was not deployed). The main
parachute may have been manually deployed by activation
of what was then known as the emergency restraint release handle
(now known as the emergency manual chute handle) but doing so
would've required the pilot to first squeeze/pull the handle and
then manually push upwards on the parachute container subsequent
to the seat being forced out of the aircraft (this
scenario would of course depend upon the pilot being conscious
and physically capable of performing the required
actions). Possible impact damage to the seat structure incurred
during collision also may have activated the emergency
restraint release handle or associated mechanical linkages
resulting in uncommanded pilot/seat separation and parachute
deployment. Unfortunately, I didn't personally examine the
seat or read an official investigation report for this mishap
and thus I can't confirm if/how the emergency manual chute
system was activated.
The second pilot whom I'd earlier observed descending by
parachute was either out of my field of vision or had
successfully landed by this time.
To this day.........I can remember the events that happened very
clearly. It was a very emotional event and still is something
that sticks with me. It was the first time I had read an eye
witness account of the crash. While he was watching the crash I
was waiting for 0032 to land, it was "not a good day"
This is a USAF Air Force Academy picture of Craig Lovelady, the pilot who died.
(Clearly he did not look that young but he did have a boyish look about him.) He
would have been about 26-27 when the accident occurred and was a recent graduate
of the USAF Fighter Weapons School. Like all FWIC grads, he was a very good
instructor. Like most FWIC grads, he was a great pilot. And unlike a lot of FWIC
grads, he was a very nice human being, friend and husband (i.e. he wasn't a
dick, which cannot be said about many FWIC grads from the 80's who tended to
take care of number one first instead of doing their damn job).
The mission was a 1 v 1 Offensive BFM training mission for Col Z, who
was assigned to a higher headquarters staff position for USAFE and was
not assigned to Bitburg AB. Certain staff positions were flying status
positions which allowed the pilot manning the position to fly
occasionally even though there was no practical need to do so (i.e. they
would never go to war or sit alert or be certified mission qualified).
This mission was a grade sheet mission and part of his checkout in the
F-15 after being assigned to his staff position.
The picture of COl Z shows him as a captain. As a colonel, he looked
very, very old for his age and . . . to me . . . physically unqualified
to fly high-G maneuvers. On this mission, once the fight started (from
an offensive perch with the colonel about 40 degrees back and either
3000, 6000, or 9000 feet back (I forget which, but memory says 6000),
both fighters turned hard on the initial turn when Craig reversed.
(Imagine going from about a 10 degree nose down high-G turn to a hard
left rudder/barrel roll to the left to pull to the colonel's high 6 and
force an overshoot). When doing a reverse, Lovelady almost certainly
lost sight . . . which is common and even expected when starting the
reverse. He would have been required to call "blind", which I believe he
did. Now the onus is on the offender to maintain a visual . . . or call
"Blind, knock it off" and pull away from Lovelady's position. Memory
says that the colonel did not call blind but got disoriented and pulled
up instead of down when he saw the mid-air potential. He was slow so
pulling up would have almost no impact on the jet's flight path. Memory
says that he thought he was pointing more down when he was actually
pointing more up.
The board determined it was an honest mistake and let him fly again . .
. at Bitburg . . . in an F-15C (with a different squadron) . . . even
though there was no good reason for him to remain flying. During the
checkout, they had him fly in a D-model with another IP in the back seat
and he G-LOC'ed under high G's so the IP took over. They immediately
cancelled his training program. Many think a similar thing might have
happened during the accident. Craig was supposedly killed instantly by
the mid-air due to a head injury. The reason he got a chute was
basically because the cockpit was ripped apart from the main airframe
and the main chute deployed after he separated from the seat. Did I
mention Craig was a helluva guy?
15th January 1986
USAF
F-15A Eagle
76-0023
5 FIS
Crashed in the Guadelupe
Mountains
Pilot killed
Lost when the pilot
was teaching a younger pilot how to ridge hop a
mountain. Unfortunately the aircraft struck the top of
the ridge and disintegrated killing the pilot.
Terry Hill
in email Friday 3rd
August 2007
FEEDBACK
FEEDBACK
I was the Production Scheduler when this happened. Just a
Senior Airman at the time. The plane was on Alert out west. I
remember everybody coming into our scheduling office asking
about some life support maintenance they believed was not
completed. They assume it was a maintenance error over a pilots
error. I was pretty upset because if I had missed something, it
would have been quite bad.
I kept a signature log of when and who did the life support
maintenance. They tried to find the Life Support Airman (Who
signed my work order) but he had just went on leave. They got a
hold of him and asked him if he had completed the life support
maintenance. He said he did, but did not sign off their Life
Support Log. It was one time that I was very glad I kept good
records.
It was a very sad time for everybody. I didn't know him
personally, but I'm sure he was a very fine pilot, as we're all
of the pilots.
5th Fighter was a great unit and I was disappointed to see it
shut down. These were great people and I was proud to have been
a part of that unit.
After the Spitten Kittens shut down, I was lucky enough
to stay with F-15's up in Iceland. Black Knights
Jeff Bowman
in email 8th March 2010
Wednesday 5th March 1986
F-4 Phantom II
Investigators say two National Air Guardsmen from Illinois
ejected from their fighter plane after the jet apparently
collided in midair with one of five others flying in formation.
The pilot and weapons officer parachuted to safety without
serious injury Wednesday. The plane crashed 150 feet west of the
runway at Gulfport-Biloxi Regional Airport.
2 National Guardsmen
forced to eject from jet
GULFPORT, Miss. (AP)
-- Two Air National Guardsmen from Illinois escaped serious
injury Wednesday when they were forced to eject from their jet
fighter before it crashed at Gulfport-Biloxi Regional Airport.
Other members of the 183rd Tactical Fighter Group from
Springfield, Ill., had some different problems following the
crash. Lt. Art Haubold, Keesler Air Force Base public affairs
officer, identified the crew members as the pilot, Maj. John R.
Patchett, 36, of Marion, Ill., and the [SEE YEAR PAGE 1986 THEN
ADD TO F-4 PAGES]
Friday 7th March 1986
USAF
F-15A Eagle
76-0055
LA
426 TFTS
Luke AFB, Ariz
Crashed after Mid-Air
Collision
DETAILS ???
Friday 7th March 1986
USAF
F-15A Eagle
76-0074
LA
405 TTW
Luke AFB, Ariz
DETAILS ???
I'm 95% sure this was an accident with a Lt Col going through the
shorter TX re-qualification course at Luke AFB after coming off a staff
job prior to going operational again. I heard he was a pretty good
pilot. As part of close BFM maneuvering with his IP . . . someone he had
flown with in an earlier assignment . . . they had a mid-air. The IP was
killed. I'm pretty sure his name was Captain Dave McCarthy, a guy who
was going through the Luke IP upgrade course when I was getting my
initial F-15 training. I remember him as a very capable pilot and a
pretty good guy. At that time, he was in the 550th Silver Eagles.
What most people in the world don't know is that there is a half-second
delay in conscious programming which can be a factor in close-in flying
when you think you are further away than you think. I think this was
just one of those mutual F-ups fighter pilots have with both being a
little too aggressive or a little late in realizing the mid-air
potential. I think the Lt Col was injured on landing when he landed on
something (a cactus, maybe). But nothing too serious.
.. killing one pilot and injuring another, an
Air Force spokesman said. Capt. David C. McCarthy, 32, was
killed and Lt. Col. Clyde S. Britt, whose age was
...
Authorities Report Military Jet Crash
AJO, Ariz. (AP) — Two F-15A jet fighters crashed
in southern Arizona
while on training missions, killing one pilot
and injuring another, an
Air Force spokesman said Saturday.
Capt. David C. McCarthy, 32, was killed and Lt.
Col. Clyde S. Britt,
whose age was unavailable, was listed in good
condition Saturday in the
hospital at Luke Air Force Base, Staff Sgt.
Corky Groves said.
Both men were instructor pilots assigned to the
base. Britt ejected
from his jet, but McCarthy did not, Groves said.
Officials would not say if the planes collided.
Captain David Craig "Dave" McCarthy (IP) was killed in the F-15
mid-air on 7 March 1986
while during a training flight upgrading a student to
mission-ready status in the Eagle.
12th September 1986
USAF
F-15A Eagle
77-0153
HO
49 TFW
Crashed after Mid-Air
Collision
Pilot ejected
sustaining facial injuries
ACES II
FEEDBACK
F-15A 77-153 was my
friend's personal aircraft when he was with the 9TFS,
49TFW but was not flying it when the accident occurred. 77-153
collided head on with F-15A 77-083, 8 miles Northwest of
Bingham, New Mexico. The collision occurred when a
flight of 4 F-15's were performing interception
practice. 3 aircraft were flying in trail formation with
the fourth making head on intercepts. The first
intercept had occurred when the pilot of 77-153 mistook the
number 3 aircraft as number 2. Focused in on number 3
the pilot of 153 did not see 083 the number 2 aircraft in
trail until the last second. Breaking hard 153 tore the
radome off of 083, 153 then fell into a flat inverted
spin at which time one of the wings departed the
aircraft.
The pilot of 153 was
able to eject even though he was forced forward and
doubled over the control stick. The pilot of 153
sustained facial injuries when the blood vessels in his face
burst due to the G forces and improper positioning for
ejection. The pilot of 083 was able to nurse his
aircraft back to Holloman, AFB for an emergency landing.
Upon landing the pilot of 083 retarded the throttles at
which time the both flamed out due to FOD damage. 083
also sustained damage to one of the wings and took almost a
year of repairs to return to flight status.
Terry Hill
in email Friday 3rd
August 2007
12th September 1986
USAF
F-15A Eagle
77-083
HO
49 TFW
Landed safely after
Mid-Air Collision
Pilot landed aircraft
back at
FEEDBACK
Also... the mid-air collision on
September 12,1986 of 77-0153 and 77-0086 (Both were assigned to the 9th
Tactical Fighter Squadron) occurred during a routine training flight when the
pilot of 77-0153 unknowingly maneuvered his aircraft into the path of 77-0086.
Although both engines incurred severe "foreign object ingestion" damage, the
entire radome was reduced to a splintered mass, the radar antenna had been
ripped from the bulkhead it was mounted to, numerous avionics components and
access panels had been dislodged and were either ingested or plummeted to the
desert, a portion of the right wingtip was missing and numerous "minor" impact
damages to the vertical and horizontal stabilizers... the pilot was able to fly
it back to base with minimal effort. This aircraft (77-0086) sat on airframe
jacks for quite some time as it was repaired in our maintenance hanger.
The pilot from 77-0153 safely ejected with minor injuries. It was rumored he
had been found hitch-hiking back to base... but I tend to not believe that.
Ken Thompson
in email 22nd October 2007
9th March 1987
USAF
F-15A Eagle
77-0075
HO
9 TFS
49 TFW
Crashed 3 miles SE of Holloman AFB, New Mexico.
Pilot Lt. Col.
Gene Jackson killed
Crashed when the aircraft was taking off and a rudder
malfunction caused an uncommanded roll from which the pilot
could not recover. Terry Hill
in email Friday 3rd
August 2007
FEEDBACK
FEEDBACK
I sincerely hope you are still
monitoring this as I have some more information for you regarding two F-15A
incidents at Holloman AFB, New Mexico.
I was stationed at Holloman AFB as an F-15 crewchief from 12/1985 until12/1989
in the 9th Aircraft Maintenance Unit, 49th Tactical Fighter Wing. I had the
privilege to launch and recover Lieutenant Colonel Gene Jackson a few
times during my time at this base. He was one of the few high-ranking pilots I
ever encountered that would treat enlisted personnel with respect and with
light-hearted banter.
During the early afternoon of March 9, 1987 F-15A 77-0075 (Assigned to the 9th
Tactical Fighter Squadron) was departing Holloman AFB enroute to the Hawaiian
Air National Guard for a permanent transfer. In order to save time following an
extensive and lengthy transfer inspection it was decided that the aircraft would
complete its required Operational Check Flight (OCF) while configured for long
range having three FULL 600-gallon external fuel tanks installed, which
is totally against standard operating procedures. If the aircraft performed
without problems the pilot agreed to continue his flight to Hawaii. All ground
checks were completed with no noted anomalies and the flight was permitted.
Almost immediately after rotation the F-15 pitched up into an excessively high
AOA not able to gain enough airspeed to climb rapidly. Numerous times the pilot
was told to eject but he refused stating the aircraft was too unstable and every
time he released the controls the aircraft started rolling towards base housing,
the flight line, or the highway. He fought the aircraft until it was no longer
a threat to anyone but was unable to eject in time to save his own life. I
consider him an "unsung hero" and I have found it difficult to locate any
information about him.
AFHRA Personal Papers - Lt. Col. Gene Jackson
Whether is collided with something like a telephone pole or telephone wires, as
some rumours stated, or the aircraft just stalled too close to the ground I
don't know. I'm also not 100% positive about the cause except I vaguely
remember being told it had been traced to rod-end link connecting two
hydro-mechanical flight control units that had not been properly safe tied.
Ken
Thompson
in email 22nd October 2007
77-0075 was the first F-15 I ever worked on. It was in my "realm of
responsibilities" until it was scheduled for transfer to the Hawaiian ANG. It
had also been used extensively as a demonstration aircraft when our squadron
(9th AMU / 9th TFS) was tasked with the performances.
Mike,
I revisited your website this evening and read the entries from Terry Hill. I
was mistaken about the tail number 77-0086 for the incident on 9/12/1986. It is
absolutely true it was really 77-0083. I believe my errant memory is recalling
an F-15 I worked at either Bitburg AB or Edwards AFB years later.
Also, seems he has somewhat confirmed the info I had regarding the cause of
77-0075's crash. One of the two hydro-mechanical units is called the
Aileron-Rudder Interconnect and deals with the operation of those control
surfaces.
Impacted the ground during low
altitude manouvere. Crashed in
in Amelia County
Virginia.
Major Dennis R. Kuehler
(callsign Stud 31)
fatally injured
FEEDBACK
Regarding
the fatal crash of F-15C 81-0056 on 8th June 1987 resulting in the death of
Major Dennis R. Kuehler---I believe Major Kuehler, then Captain Kuehler was
also the pilot of F-15C 80-0007 which crashed (extreme hard landing) at
Soesterberg AB, NL on 9/12/81.
Subsequent to that accident I flew against Captain Kuehler (I was an
Aggressor with the 527TFTAS, RAF Alconbury) at Decimomannu AB, Sardinia.
The Soesterberg crunch notwithstanding, he was one helluva stick & throttle
man.
Bob Dwyer
Lt Col, USAF, retired
1st October 1987
10:00 EDT
USAF
F-15A
75‑0027
TY
1st TFTS 325 TTW
Crashed during traing mission
in Apalachicola National
Forest 5 miles E of Sumatra
Alabama, Georgia.
CHECK LOCATION
Joel T. Greene
37
Whittier, Calif
ejected
safely
ACES II
Tuesday 24th November 1987
USAF
F-15A Eagle
75‑0056
128th TFS Dobbins Air Force Base in Marietta
after collision
with F‑161379‑0419/HI 466th TFS 419th TFW (which landed safely),
5 miles E of Wadley,
Georgia (over Jefferson County)
Lt. Col. Bruce MacLane
Sandy Springs, Atlanta, was forced to eject
ACES II
The pilot of the other planewas Maj. Wayne F. Conroy of Hill Air
Force Base in Utah. He managed to get the jet safely back to
base despite damage to the right wing and right stabilizer,
carrying champion stock car racer Bill Elliott,
8th November 1988
USAF
F-15C Eagle
80-0017
AK
21 TFW
Crashed 5 miles NW of Kodiak, Alaska.
January 5, 1989 -
1A FRONT
F-16 JET CRASHES, EXPLODES AT RANCH AF PILOT EJECTS OVER
OKEECHOBEE An Air Force F-16 on a routine training mission
crashed into a pasture about 20 miles north of here Wednesday,
killing cows and scorching grass but sparing the pilot, who
parachuted to safety. Pilot Mark Pugh, 27, was listed in good
condition at the MacDill Air Force Base hospital in Tampa. He
suffered minor cuts and abrasions. The plane, a General Dynamics
F-16A, burst into flames when it hit the ground and scattered
debris throughout the Double Diamond Ranch, an isolated dairy
farm...
1st May 1989
USAF
F-15B Eagle
76-0138
TY
95 TFTS
Crashed into Gulf of Mexico 65 nmiles SE of Tyndall AFB,
Florida.
Lieutenant
Sean P. Murphy
This was a B-course guy (i.e. going through initial F-15 training)
in the 95th Boneheads. This was his first mission doing neutral BFM
from a beyond visual range intercept. BFM training is mostly done
from perch setups where pilots pull high-G's at first with the fight
usually degrading to slpw speed knife fights. When you do your first
BFM from an intercept, it is very easy to forget your airspeed when
focused on radar and trying to get and keep a tally ho and get too
fast. If you go too fast with an F-15 in full afterburner, you'll
accelerate . . . even pulling 8 G's. So you can pull 8-9 G's all day
and never slow down. Because you're used to slowing down when flying
BFM and G-forces reducing, it's easy to relax and continue to pull
G's without doing the required straining maneuver.
This kid G-LOC'ed and came to with his jet in AB in a dive. He tried
to bail out but the seat didn't go. (I'm not sure he wasn't too fast
besides.) The canopy did jettison if memory serves. Because of this
seat failure (and a few others previously), they added a second fuse
to the ACES II system so that when you pull the handles now, the
second fuse is about a second or so behind in case the first fuse
doesn't work and seat will still go.
This kid was an all-American boy in look and attitude if memory
serves. And I think he had a twin brother, as well. His IP was a
good guy and an able IP and a flight commander at the time. Every
F-15C pilot I know has hit a merge too fast and struggled to keep up
with the G's before realizing why his jet wasn't slowing down. It's
one of the situations where G-LOC is a very big threat.
which loss
Air Force was killed in May 1989 when his F-15... had
tried to eject but the firing mechanism stalled, trapping him inside
the ..
. 1 May—A
Tyndall Air Force Base
F-15 Eagle crashed in the
Gulf of Mexico about 65 miles southeast of Tyndall, killing the student
pilot who was identified as 2nd Lt. Sean P. Murphy, 23, of
Warsaw, Indiana. At the time of the crash the pilot was engaged in a mock
dogfight with his instructor who was flying a second F-15. The pilot was
assigned to Tyndall's 95th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron.[
18th May 1989
USAF
F-15A Eagle
76-0056
TY
2 TFTS
Crashed 1 mile east of Frink,
Florida
8th July 1989
USAF
F-15C Eagle
85‑0109
EG
58th TFS 33 TFW
Crashed near Lamison, Alabama
Capt. Leo Moore
ejected
safely
ACES II
10th August 1989
USAF
F-15A Eagle
77-0101
HO
49 TFW
Crashed 60 miles N of Holloman
AFB, White sands missile range, New Mexico
Timothy B Stewart
personal testimony
(TO LINK)
ACES II
6th November 1989
USAF
F-15C Eagle
84‑0029
WA
422nd TES
??? 57 FWW
Nellis Air Force Base
Crashed 60 miles Northeast of Las Vegas,
Nevada
Pilot ejected was injured
ACES II
28th December 1989
USAF
F-15C Eagle
86-0153
EG
59 TFS
Crashed into Gulf of Mexico, 40 miles SE of Apalachicola,
Florida.
Pilot
Captain ??
later declared as dead
one of 2 f-15s from 33rd that were engaged in a combat training
mission against two F-16 Falcon jets from Moody Air Force Base
in Georgia
The pilot of an F-15 Eagle jet fighter that crashed in the Gulf
of Mexico on Thursday has been declared dead by the Air Force.
Capt....
APALACHICOLA, Fla., Dec.
28— An F-15 jet fighter
crashed into the Gulf of Mexico
during a mock dogfight this
morning, and the pilot was still
missing late today.
The jet, from Eglin Air Force
Base, crashed about 40 miles
southeast of this Florida
Panhandle community, said Capt.
Gary Perugini, public affairs
officer for the 33d Tactical
Fighter Wing. It was one of two
F-15's from that wing that were
engaged in a combat training
mission against two F-16's from
Moody Air Force Base in Georgia,
he said.
The Coast Guard assumed
responsibility for search and
rescue this afternoon, but there
were no reports of either the
pilot or any wreckage, military
spokesmen said.
NYT 29th December
1989
Wednesday 16th January 1990
USAF
F-15D Eagle
80-0059
AK
21 TFW
Elmendorf Air Force Base
On
a solo training mission northwest of Anchorage. Crashed into big
Mount Susitana aproximately 30 miles SW of Anchorage, Alaska.
Captain Darrell
L. Kenney Jr
31
killed
This was an FCF jet. FCF stands for (maintenance) functional
check flight. FCF's are done completely clean with even the
pylons off and follow a very specific profile. It's also a very
busy mission from the time you start. On this particular mission
the low altitude weather was poor and everything looked gray and
white with clouds blending perfectly into the snow-covered
ground. Mount Susitna was covered in soft snow, like smooth
rolling hills (unlike the mountains further west with steep
granite peaks that snow could not adhere to). And it sits all by
itself in the middle of a very flat area, like a big pimple.
The pilot was was slowing and descending from his mach run, in
the weather, and misheard a call from the FAA controller and
thought he was cleared to an altitude that was below the top of
Mount Susitna. I think he even repeated back the call (what he
thought the assigned altitude was . . . which was too low) and
that the controller did not correct him. Many pilots suspect he
thought he was further east then he actually was (i.e past Mount
Susitna where the land was all close to sea level until you get
to the Chugach mountains east of Anchorage and Elmendorf AFB).
He was basically level or leveling at what he thought was his
assigned altitude and was kind of in a big wide snow bowl in the
mountain when he hit. It was all deep, soft, white, snow that
blended perfectly with the clouds. The jet was amazingly well
preserved because of the cushion of the snow.
As is usually the case, the pilot was very competent and just
made one mistake at the wrong time. FCF's procedures were
subsequently changed so they became clear sky missions only.
24th January 1990
08:10
USAF
F-15C Eagle
78-0534
ZZ
18 TFW
Kadena AFB, Okinawa, Japan
Participating in "Cope Thunder" at Clark Air Base
Crashed into South
China Sea 50 miles NW of Clark
AFB Philippines, off the coast of Zambales, after Mid-Air Collision
Pilot
presumed dead
24th January 1990
USAF
F-15C Eagle
78-0520
landed safely following Mid-Air
Collision
15th March 1990
USAF
F-15A Eagle
76‑0069
LA
426th TFTS
lost control during ACM. Crashed near Wenden 70
miles N of Phoenix, Arizona
pilot ejected
safely
ACES II
25th April 1990
USAF
F-15C Eagle
81‑0049
CR
32nd TFS
into North Sea, 9 miles off Spurn Head (UK)
pilot
ejected
safely
ACES II
30th September 1990
12:35 a.m. MDT
USAF
F-15E Eagle
87-0203
SJ
336 TFS
Crashed during
training mission in Oman about 63 miles north of Thumrait in the
Arabian Peninsula in preparation for operation Desert Shield into Saudi desert on
a low level mission both crew-members were killed.
ACES II
Pilot
Maj. Peter S. Hook
killed
WSO
Capt. James B. "Boo Boo" Poulet
San Carlos
killed
ACES II
24th October 1990
USAF
F-15C Eagle
79‑0067
BT
525nd TFS
"Bulldog"
reassigned from the 22nd TFS
into Mediterranean 30 miles from Decimomanu
off coast Sardinia (It),
USAF
pilot ejected
safely. Rescued by Italian helicopter
ACES II
FEEDBACK
The F-15C
crash on 24th October 1990 was actually a 525nd TFS "Bulldog" jet. It had
recently been reassigned from the 22nd TFS to balance the squadrons after
the transfer of several Bitburg jets to the Saudi Arabian Air Force
following the Iraq invasion of Kuwait.
Although the
pilot was rescued by an Italian helicopter, the pilot was not an Italian
exchange pilot. The pilot was an American assigned to the 525TFS
Bob 'Siggy' Siegrist [details amended following the above received email on 7th November 2007]
18th January 1991
also seen as 16th
Confirm
USAF
F-15
88‑1689
SJ
336th TFS
DESERT STORM hit by AAA during low‑level attack on oil refinery
storage tanks near Basra (Iraq),
Maj. Thomas F. "Teek" Koritz killed
WSO Maj. Donnie R. Holland killed
ACES II
19th
January 1991
USAF
F‑15E
88‑1692
SJ
The actual tail number was
masked by a large "4th."
335th TFS
4th TFW
shot down near AI Quaim, Iraq, by SA‑2
while attacking a Scud‑site
Major Thomas E. Griffith,
Jr
Col. David W. Eberly ejected - evaded
capture until 22nd January 1991 POW
ACES II
27th March 1991
USAF
F-15C Eagle
78‑0526
ZZ
12th TFS 18 TFW
1.9NM W of Osan AB (South Korea)
pilot ejected
safely
ACES II
16th September 1991
USAF
F-15E Eagle
87-0172
LF
56 FW
Wednesday 15th
January 1992
USAF
F-15A Eagle
75-0071
128th TFS 116th TFW
Dobbins Air Force Base
Georgia ANG
Collided with F-15A Eagle75-0075 of Georgia ANG/116thTFW/128thTFS
in mid air during a practice dogfight over Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee which landed at McGhee Tyson
Airport, near Knoxville
Lt. Col. Barry Bierig
ejected
CONFIRM PILOT
ACES II
Wednesday 15th January 1992
morning
USAF
F‑15A
75‑0075
128th TFS 116th TFW
Dobbins Air Force Base
Georgia ANG
Maj. Brad Thompson
Landed safely
CONFIRM PILOT
21st
January 1992
USAF
F-15C Eagle
81‑0052 WA
57th FW Nellis AFB, NV,
USA, assigned to the Fighter
Weapons School
Training mission. Crashed on Nellis
AFB ranges in the Nevada
desert 75 M from base
Capt. Jay Denney ejected.
ACES II
Rescued by helicopter
of 66th
ARS taken to the 554th Medical Group Hospital at Nellis where he was
listed in good condition.
AirForces Monthly March Issue 2009
KILLER EAGLES OVER IRAQ
Former US Air Force F-15 pilot Captain Jay Denney tells Warren E
Thompson about a notable mission he flew over Iraq during
Operation Desert Storm.
First off thanks for maintaining such an
excellent site on the F-15. One thing i thought odd though was
that for a site that primarily focuses on ejections, the loss of
F-15C 81-0052 was not covered in more detail as it is one of two
cases i know of where the ejection system activated itself (the
other being a partial ejection from an A-6). The text below is
from the AIB report. Dont know why but some typos occurred when
i cut and pasted it. I think i got all of them, but if not
apologies.
7. EJECTION: The mishap pilot stated he was unexpectedly ejected
from the
aircraft with no action on his part. From his testimony (Tab
V-1'-19),as the
brown/orange smoke appeared while he was turning toward the
front, he closed his
eyes. He had the sensation of being pushed forward rather than
upward as he
expected, and then a tumbling. When the seat stabilized and he
opened his eyes, he
was erect in the seat, facing easterly. His right forearm was on
his right thigh as if he
were still trying to move the control stick. His left arm was
loose but the pilot felt
he was attempting to press the radio transmit button on the
throttles, which were
no longer in his hand. His head was pinned back against the seat
with wind blast in
his face. He had no sensation of the shoulder harness holding
his shoulders against
the seat. He immediately checked for a parachute canopy and saw
none. He brought
both hands to the sides of the ejection seat and ran them down
the sides to the
ejection handles. Both handles were in the down position as if
they had not been
pulled. He grasped both handles and pulled them. He distinctly
remembers the
handles rotating as he pulled. The personal parachute deployed
at that time.
a. Evidence from the cockpit environment was examined for
incapacitating
or abnormal physical contact or presence prior to the ejection.
This evidence shows
that immediately prior to the mishap, the cockpit structures and
environment
adjacent to the pilot were normal (Tab I-19).
b. Because of correlation between the mishap pilot's recall and
events on
the ACMI tape, G loss of consciousness has been ruled out as a
factor in the accident (Tab O).
c. At the time of the ejection, the pilot was positioned with
the upper torso
erect with no significant angling. The helmet was positioned
upright and
approximately facing forward, denoting a conscious state. Both
legs were extended
toward the rudder pedals. The position of the arms and hands is
undetermined
(Tab I-19).
8. EJECTION SEAT: Investigation reveals an ejection system which
functioned as designed (Tab J-71,,1-17w) then activated by
pulling the ejection
handles. Pull tests of the ejection handles did not reveal any
concerns regarding the
force required to rotate the handles in the mishap ejection seat
(Tab I-1,4). Both JAU-
8/ A25 initiators were recovered from the seat and display
normal firing indications.
Ejection system components recovered from the wreckage
established that the
system functioned and sequenced normally. Throughout this
investigation no
evidence was found of any equipment failures.
Wednesday 22nd April 1992
USAF
F-15C Eagle
80-0023
BT
22 TFS
36 TFW
Bitburg
Crashed near Stuttgart, Baden-Wurtemberg,
Germany, during a NATO mission
First Lt. Kirk P. "Rabbit"
Shauger Sanford, Mich
killed
[Previously shown
as Lieutenant Sean Murphy - corrected 30th August 2011]
ACES II
Thanks to
Martin Agüera for correcting the error
in email 30th August 2011
Carol Sanford of Sanford
was there to remember
her son, Kirk Shauger.
Shauger died in 1992
when his F-15 went down
during a NATO mission in
Germany.
"They were
flying against the
Canadians. War games,
really," Sanford said.
"They don't really know
what happened. It's
still classified
information."
Shauger died one
month after getting
married. Sanford
described her son as
"generous and loving,"
and a leader. She still
remembers the day she
found out her son had
died.
FEEDBACK
Reference the
22nd April 1992
crash of F-15C 80-0023, I was the area turn director for the area including
80-0023’s hardened aircraft shelter (HAS). I was in the HAS during the start-up
and taxi. We called a “redball” for a fuel leak on the left wing root and a
fuel specialist responded and cleared the aircraft for flight. We launched the
aircraft and later found out that it had crashed and the pilot killed. Our ops
officer, soon to be squadron commander, was leading the flight. The young
Lieutenant spun in without responding to radio calls. We later found out that
he had succumbed to g-induced loss of consciousness (GLOC) due to his g-suit not
being properly zipped.
in email 26th February 2011
13th July 1992
USAF
F-15C Eagle
85-0116
EG
60 TFS
Eglin AFB, Florida
Crashed 90 miles S of
AFB into Gulf of Mexico
13th July 1992
USAF
F-15C Eagle
86-0159
EG
33 TFW
Eglin AFB, Florida
Damaged ran off
runway
10th August 1992
USAF
F-15E Eagle
89-0479
WA
57 FWW
Crashed NE of Las
Vegas, Nevada
Pilot
Maj. Bruce "Phoid" Netardus
killed
WSO
Lt.Col. Wendell "Sheik" Johnson
killed
FEEDBACK
I am a Captain with American
Airlines and found out I’m flying a trip on Sunday with one of my UPT
instructors from Laughlin AFB.
I started to look at our
class album and started searching for some of the guys in our class. I
had heard of Bruce’s Crash back in 92 here at American.
I found your web site and realized you did not have a picture of Bruce
As you do of the other pilots
lost to a crash.
Attached is Bruce Netardus’s picture from out class book.
We attended Laughlin AFB,
Texas , Class 82-01 “it’s hard to be humble”
Bruce was a great guy to go
through pilot training with. I was the section leader and Bruce was in my
section. We lost a great man when we lost Bruce.
Dave Morrison in email 31st July 2009
30th
November 1992
USAF
F-15C Eagle
83-0021
FF
1stFW/
71st Fighter Squadron
``Ironmen''
a mechanical problem during a routine training flight during 2 v 4
air training against four Mirages. while on detachment from Langley AFB as part
of the Operation
Southern Watch force crashed near Dhahran in the Persian Gulf area
Lieutenant Colonel Frank Bjoring
(Langley Air Force Base)
ejected safely
ACES II
was on a training mission north of Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, last month when he was
forced to eject from his F-15 jet
15th
March 1993
USAF
F-15C Eagle
79‑0027
TY
95th FS
crashed into the sea in Gulf of Mexico
100 miles S of Tyndall AFB
pilot Philip DeLillo
ejected safely
ACES II
Philip DeLillo of the 95th Fighter Squadron, based at Tyndall Air Force
Base in Panama City
Saturday 12th
June 1993
USAF
F-15A Eagle
77-0117
122ndFS
Louisiana ANG
crashed 30 miles east of New
Orleans NAS
Kenneth C. Duke
29
ejected
ACES II
Pilot in coma after ejecting
from spinning F-15 His parachute was damaged and he lost his helmet. A
pilot who agreed to a financial settlement that led to attempted murder charges
being dismissed against him in a Southlake case was in critical condition
yesterday after a weekend plane crash in Louisiana, authorities said. Kenneth C.
Duke, 29, was the pilot of a Louisiana Air National Guard plane that crashed
about noon Saturday, the Naval Air Station in New Orleans reported. Duke
apparently ejected from the plane before it crashed, and he was rescued and
transported by a...
17th
December 1993
USAF
F-15A Eagle
75-0054
122nd FS
159th FG
Louisiana
ANG
collided with F-16A 82-0927/FS of Arkansas ANG/188th FG/184th FS
over the Atlantic Ocean and crashed into the sea off Brunswick, Georgia. F-16
pilot killed.
F-15 pilot Capt. Bryant P. McGuire
29
New Orleans
ejected safely and was picked up by the
Coast
Guard
ACES II
The Louisiana aviator was flying an F-15 assigned to the 159th Belle
... McGuire joined the Louisiana Air National Guard in November
1991, Lovasco said. ...
Rescuers
plucked a Louisiana pilot from the sea on Friday and searched for an Arkansas
flier after two Air National Guard planes collided in midair off the coast of
Georgia, authorities said.Capt. Bryant P. McGuire, 29, of New Orleans, was
reported in good condition at a Georgia hospital, said Capt. Maria Lovasco,
spokeswoman for the Louisiana National Guard. Doctors planned to keep McGuire in
the hospital Friday night for observation, she said. The Louisiana aviator was
4th April 1994 About 9:25
USAF
F-15C
Eagle
78‑0497
ZZ
44th FS
Kadena AB (Japan)
Crashed shortly after take off from Kadena AB
and caught fire in
farm, near Kadena Ammunitions Storage Area, about 500m from
Gate 3, Kadena AB
pilot
ejected
safely
ACES II
A U.S. F-15 soon after taking off from a U.S. Air Force base on Okinawa, Japan,
no-one was injured
FEEDBACK
I was stationed at Kadena when 497 went down. I
believe an engine shelled and severed the rods/cables to the stabilator.
Aircrew tried to nose up to gain altitude and stalled.
Also, I was at Bitburg in 92 when the young Lt crashed. If memory serves me, it
was during an exercise and he had just gotten to the base. I believe he was
still in billeting with his wife. They believe he scrambled without his mask on
or at least G-locked and flew into the ground.
Dave Cunningham in email 9th November 2008
5th May 1994
USAF
F-15C
79‑0058
TY
1st FS
crashed
following G‑induced loss of
consciousness on his first solo flight,
Capt. Jon Counsell ejected
at Mach 1.14 suffered serious injuries and was rescued after 21/2 hours in
the water by 20th SOS MH‑53
ACES II
6th May 1994
USAF
F-15C
78‑0530
ZZ
67th FS Okinawa
Crashed
into Yellow Sea
during a training mission off the coast of South Korea about 2
miles of Boryong (South Korea),
after collision with F‑16C 87‑0274/WP
80th FS 8th FW (also crashed
- pilot ejected survived).
CaptJohn Ruben 'Hoss' Kindred
31
killed
ACES II
FEEDBACK
". . . some additions to the F-15
accident of 6th
May 1994, midair with an F16. the F-15 pilot, Capt 'Hoss' Kindred of the
67th FS was killed, the F16 pilot survived. I was at Kadena in the 44th at
the time."
Stump
in email 7th
March 2010
Friday 16th September 1994
USAF
McDonnell Douglas (Boeing)
F-15E
Strike Eagle
91-0601
LN
494th Fighter Squadron
48th Fighter Wing
RAF Lakenheath, Suffolk, England
Bird strike Mallard Duck
penetrated
canopy at low level over Wales
ACES II
Captain Bradley Robert*
landed aircraft at RAF Valley,
Anglesey, Wales
*Captain
Robert was awarded the Koren Kolligian Jr. Trophy for his action in saving the
aircraft.
WSO Captain Mike Panarisi
ejected safely
ACES II
FEEDBACK
" . . .
an F-15 based at Lakenheath was on a routine low level training flight heading
north close to the Cardigan bay coast here in West Wales. At the same time a
group of hunters were, I think shooting Ducks close to the small village of
Pennant which is around 15 miles south of Aberystwyth. In a one in a million
chance while the jet was flying over the hunt it hit one the ducks shattering
part of canopy. The damage was severe enough for one of the crew to eject, he
was rescued by the hunters with, if I remember, no injuries. The pilot decided
to land to the nearest air base which was RAF Valley.
I can't remember exactly when this incident happened. I'm certain it happened in
the winter sometime between 2000 - 2003. i have tried to find more information
about this incident on the net but with no luck.
Last year I was talking to someone who lives in Pennant and told me when the
ejectee came back afterwards to thank the hunters for rescuing him he gave them
Baseball caps shaped like ducks as gifts!!
Does anyone else have any more info on this incident? Serial number of the
airframe? Names of the crew ?"
Thanks,
O G LL
FEEDBACK
Thanks to Tim West & John
Richardson for providing the
answer and more details to the above question.
18th April 1995
22.OOhr
USAF
F-15E
89‑0504
SJ
336th FS
Crashed into Atlantic of the coast of North‑Carolina
during air‑to‑air mission
ACES II
pilot
Capt.
Brian
J. Udell ejected was rescued by USCG
WSO Capt. Dennis M. White was killed
ACES II
Captain Udell's ejection was at
approximately 780 mph
at 3,000 feet suffering severe
injuries. After intensive treatment he was able to return to flying two years
later Captain White had ejected at high speed at 4,500 feet and did not survive.
30th May 1995
USAF
F-15C
79‑0068
SP
call sign 'ZANE'
53rd FS
Crashed during take off from Spangdahlem AB (Germany)
pilot
Maj. Donald Grey Lowry died on his
way
to the hospital
ACES II
3rd August1995
USAF
F-15C
78‑0537
ZZ
'Duster3'
67th FS
100 miles E of Elmendorf AFB (AK) in Yukon‑Charley
Rivers National Preserve, during
exercise
Cope Thunder,
Capt. Garth Dotyejected
safely
ACES II
18th October 1995
09:30
USAF
F-15C
78‑0529
ZZ
44th FS
Crashed into open water area about 65 miles south
of Kadena, 60 miles S of Okinawa (Japan)
Pilot
Capt. D. McKercher rescued by JASDF helo
from Naha
ACES II
8th November 1995
USAF
F-15A Eagle
159 FS
Florida ANG
Jacksonville AFB
Ran off runway
Damaged
DETAILS
???
Thursday 9th November 1995
USAF
F-15A
76‑0061 /SL
110th FS
Whiteman AFB (MO) Missouri National Guard
In flight fire ?? CONFIRM.
Overran runway
near Knob Knoster, Mo. after landing 100 knots to fast due to engine
fire
pilot ejected
safely
minor injuries
ACES II
declared an in-flight emergency, officials said. He
landed about 3:10 p.m. on
21st
March 1996
09:34h
USAF
F-15C Eagle
82-0023
FF
27th FS
1st FW, Nellis AFB, Nevada
Pitched violently up into a super-stalled position on take-off
and crashed
during exercise `Green Flag'
Capt. Michael R. Fontaine
ejected safelysustained
minor injuries
ACES II
Langley Air Force Base F-15C on a routine training exercise in Nevada crashed
into the desert and exploded in flames just after takeoff Thursday afternoon,
but the jet's pilot managed to safely eject before the jet struck the ground,
1st Fighter Wing officials said.
The most recent Class A mishap involving an
F-15 took place Nov. 9 when an Air National Guard F-15 developed an engine fire.
The pilot tried to land, overshot the runway, crash-landed, and safely ejected,
[Sam McNiel] said.
Photo (color) by The Associated Press A shell of a fighter A Langley Air
Force Base F-15C fighter jet participating in Green Flag aerial war games is
shown after it crashed on takeoff at Nellis Air Force BAse near Las Vegas on
Thursday. The pilot, Capt. [Michael R. Fontaine] of the 27th Fighter Squadron,
1st Fighter Wing, was taken to the military hospital at Nellis, where he was
listed in stable and non-life-threatening condition. Staff graphic (color) F-15C
Eagle Photo (color) An F-15C
The 1st Fighter Wing pilot who ejected just before his F-15C crashed after
takeoff in Nevada last week remains hospitalized in stable condition, wing
officials said Wednesday. of the 27th Fighter Squadron, 1st Fighter Wing,
is expected to remain at the military hospital at Nellis Air Force Base for two
to three weeks before returning to Langley Air Force Base, said the wing's Staff
Sgt. Gary Padrta. Fontaine was taking part in a training exercise at the base
eight miles northeast of Las Vegas when his $15 million jet crashed into the
desert and exploded in flames just after takeoff March 21. Fontaine, officials
said, managed to eject before the jet struck the ground.
27th August 1996
USAF
F-15C
86‑0150
MO
'Bacon 04'
390th FS
Mountain. Home AFB
60 miles SW of AFB(ID)
1st Lt. Evan Dertienejected
safely
ACES II
10th January 1997
USAF
F-15C Eagle
85-0099
EG
58
FS
11th July 1997
12.30
USAF
F-15E
89‑0491
SJ
334th FS
Engine fire. Crashed 10 miles W of
Dare County range (NC)
into Alligator River
ACES II
pilot Maj. Pete
Whelan
ejected safely
WSO Capt. Ramiro Martinez, ejected
safely
24th November 1997
09.45
USAF
F-15C Eagle
83‑0033
FF
94th Fighter Squadron Langley
Technical problems. Crashed into the Atlantic
ocean, 100 KM of
Virginia Beach (VA)
1st Lt.
David
M. Nyikos ejected. was rescued by USCG helo an hour later
ACES II
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., Nov. 24—
An F-15 fighter crashed into the Atlantic Ocean
this morning, but the pilot ejected safely and
was quickly rescued, the Air Force said.
The
plane went down at 9:45 A.M., 60 to 70 miles off
the coast, said Master Sgt. Kevin Walston, a
spokesman for Langley Air Force Base, the
plane's base.
The
pilot floated on a raft for about a half hour
before he was picked up by a Coast Guard
helicopter, said a Coast Guard spokesman, Lieut.
Comdr. John Fitzgerald.
The
cause of the crash was not immediately known.
NYT 25th November
1997
5th June 1998
USAF
F-15A
77‑0120
JZ 'Jazz 1'
122nd FS
Problems during take offCrashed at the end of runway of NAS New Orleans JRB
(LA)
Pilot ?? ejected
safely
ACES II
21st October 1998
USAF
F-15E Eagle
89-0497
MO
'Miller 02'
391 FS
Crashed during a nightly training
mission 80 miles south-west of mountain-home in the paradise military operating
area near McDermitt(NV)
Lt. Col. William Morel III
42
killed
WSO
Capt. Jeffrey Fahnlander
killed
The Air Force Friday identified Lt. Col. William Morel III, 42, a West Hartford
native, as the pilot killed earlier this week when his jet fighter crashed
during an evening training flight over an Oregon desert.
Morel, a 1974 Conard
High School graduate who entered the service as an enlisted airman, died late
Wednesday as did Capt. Jeffrey Fahnlander, of Minnesota, when their F-15E
fighter went down in Malheur County, Ore., about 35 miles east of McDermitt,
Nev., said Sgt. Sonja Whittington, an Air Force spokeswoman.
Morel and Fahnlander were on an exercise with other planes of the 366th
Operations Group out of Mountain Home Air Force Base, located about 80 miles
away in southwestern Idaho.
28th January 1999
USAF
F-15C Eagle
82-0020
OT
85 TES / 53 WG
Crashed into Gulf of Mexico, 80NM SE of Eglin AFB (FL) after mid-air
collision during DACT mission with 3 F-16's
Lt. Col. Curtis Rackley
ejected safely, rescued by helo, minor injuries
treated at Eglin Regional Hospital
ACES II
28th January 1999
USAF
F-15C Eagle
84-0011
OT
85 TES / 53 WG
Maj. Joseph
"Joe" Hruska ejected safely, rescued by helo,
minor injuries treated at Eglin Regional Hospital
ACES II
15th June 1999
17.45
USAF
F-15C
82‑0008
OT
422nd TES
Crashed 60 miles east of Tonopah, 19 miles N of Rachel (NV) after mid-air collision.
Maj. Bruce Till
Capt. William Cooley
Both rescued by helos
WHO WAS IN WHICH AIRCRAFT ???
ACES II
15th June 1999
17.45
USAF
F-15D
79‑0013
445th FLTS
ACES II
FEEDBACK
Hi,
I was the Air Battle Manager during a mid-air that
occurred at Nellis AFB. The mission was a Y2K testing and involved two F-15
Eagles.
I think 15 Jun 98 and 15 Jun 99 crashes are the same, but mines occurred in
1999.
Take a look and see. No deaths but minor injuries to both pilots. in email 5th February 2008
details amended 5/2/08
19th August 1999
USAF
F-15A
76‑0117
SL
110th FS
Missouri Air National Guard
Training
mission in the skies over Salem, Mo Crashed
in the Shannon Woods, near Lindbergh (MO)
following mid-air collision
clipped wings
Capt. Richard W. "Rick" Wedanejected
and was slightly injured
ACES II
19th August 1999
USAF
F‑15A
77‑0118
SL
110th FS
131st FW
Missouri Air National Guard
Landed safely following mid-air
collision
Minor damage
Maj. Brian Kamp
did not eject
Safe landing
ACES II
3rd August 2000
10.45
USAF
F-15C
86‑0173
LN
493rd FS 48 FW NELLIS AFB
N of Rachel (NV) during Green Flag
Capt. Christopher Kirbyejected
safely. Recovered by an Army Air National Guard UH-60 helicopter crew
from Company B, 1/108 Aviation, Tuksa
ACES II
12th September 2000
USAF
F-15E
96‑0203
LN
492nd FS 48 FW
Tyre burst while landing at RAF Lakenheath (UK)Aircraft
burned on ground
ACES II
Pilot did not eject, injured in crash
WSO did not eject, injured in crash
ACES II
to add notes in f-15 folder
FEEDBACK
"Correction on the F-15E crash at RAF Lakenheath, 12
September 2000. The pilot and WSO did not eject. They were removed from the
aircraft after the accident by two USAF Security Forces airmen and three
maintainers. I was one of the responding Security Forces personnel. The WSO's
restraints had to be cut in order to get him out. Both individuals were injured
in the incident. The pilot received a concussion, no further details, and the
WSO had numerous unknown wounds . . . ."
in email 31st
January 2008
26th March 2001
USAF
F-15C Eagle
86-0169
LN
493nd FS 48 FW
Crashed into Ben Macdhui, the highest
peak in the Cairngorm range during a pre depo flight over Scotland. Possibly collided.
Lt. Col. Kenneth Hyvonen killed
26th March 2001
USAF
F-15C Eagle
86-0180
LN
493nd FS 48 FW
Capt. Kirk Jones killed
FEEDBACK
I launched 86169 on her last
flight. Lt. Col. Hyvonen was in 69 also it was not a low-level training
mission, but a pre depo flight with 3 bags "external tanks" that we had hung the
night before for the flight back to the the States. The aaib found the A.TC. at
fault for the accident. One more thing the sq. was the 493 not 492 in email received 15th February 2008
amended 15-02-08
FEEDBACK
A recent feedback on your site
lists the aaib as finding the Air Traffic Controller to be at fault. This
is inaccurate, the findings were a "breakdown in terrain avoidance
responsibilities between the pilot(s) and air traffic controller(s) on the
ground".
crashed in the Gulf of Mexico
when it broke up after the leading edge of its left vertical stabiliser detached
in a high-speed dive to Mach
Pilot
killed
ACES II
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE -- An F-15C pilot who died in a crash
earlier this year was forced to eject at high speed when a
section of the fighter's tail broke off, an Air Force
investigation team concluded.
An Accident Investigation Board summary released Friday said
Maj. James Duricy was forced to eject over the Gulf of Mexico
April 30 while flying about 1,400 mph. A piece of the left tail
broke off, causing loss of control.
The twin-engine, single-seat jet was from the 46th Test Wing,
part of the Air Force's Air Armament Center at Eglin.
The full report, which is hundreds of pages long, is still
being analyzed. There are no immediate plans for a fleetwide
F-15 inspection, Air Armament Center spokeswoman Lois Walsh
said.
The summary called Duricy, 35, a "very experienced and
proficient pilot fully qualified to fly this particular test
mission." His body was not recovered.
A 3- by 6-foot section of the tail broke off at about 24,000
feet, knocking the F-15C off balance, the summary said. Duricy
lost control of the $35-million fighter about 60 miles south of
Panama City while in a high-speed dive.
The aircraft was carrying an inert, updated version of the
heat-seeking AIM-9X "Sidewinder" anti-aircraft missile. The
mission was to check how the AIM-9X missile handled the flight.
Duricy of Cleveland was married and the father of two.
21st August 2002
USAF
F-15
78-0541
17th March 2003
USAF
F-15C
83‑0040
OT
422nd TES [Test and Evaluation Squadron at Nellis]
Mid-air collision - landed safely
Major Steve Early
DETAILS NEED CONFIRMING
ACES II
17th March 2003
09.OO
USAF
F-15C
83‑0030
OT
422nd TES
[Test and Evaluation Squadron at Nellis]
Crashed Nevada desert, near Mormon Peak,
Capt. Matthew Zamiskaejected
ACES II
Pilot error cited in mid-air crash
Jace Radke
Monday, June 23, 2003 | 9:46 a.m.
The March 17 mid-air collision of two Air Force fighter jets 65 miles
northeast of Las Vegas was caused by pilot error, military officials
announced Friday.
Capt. Mike Zamiska misjudged the position of Maj. Steve Early's F-15 and
clipped the wing of Early's plane, the investigation concluded. Zamiska
ejected from his $31 million aircraft, which was destroyed when it plunged
into the desert.
Early was able to land at Nellis Air Force Base despite $479,632 in
damage to his plane.
The pilots were participating in air-to-air combat maneuvers with a third
plane when the accident happened, according to a report released by Air
Combat Command.
Zamiska, "misjudged his leader's position and failed to coordinate his
flight path after taking a simulated shot at the bandit," the report states.
Both pilots and their planes are assigned to the 422nd Test and
Evaluation Squadron at Nellis.
Now that a cause of the crash has been determined, Zamiska's commanding
officer will determine what, if any, disciplinary action will be taken
against Zamiska.
Human error was also the cause of a Dec. 4 collision of two A-10
Thunderbolt IIs over the Nevada Test and Training Range in December that
resulted in the death of one of the pilots.
Capt. Eric Palaro, a pilot who was assigned to the 52nd Fighter Wing at
Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany, was killed after he reportedly lost sight
of the formation he was flying in and collided with another A-10.
Scott Kniep, an instructor with the Air Force Weapons School at Nellis,
ejected safely from the second A-10 involved in the collision.
That crash destroyed both of those planes, which are valued at $9.8
million apiece.
6th April 2003
16:50
USAF
F-15E Eagle
87-0186
SJ
334 FS
Seymour Johnson Air Force Base
Technical problems.
Horizontal stabilator failure.
Crashed near Willow Grove, Johnston County, NC 35
miles W of Seymour-Johnson,NC
1st Lt. Christopher Jackson ejected safely.
Examined by a flight surgeon at Koritz Clinic no injuries
WSO
Major John Voorhees ejected safely.
Examined by a flight surgeon at Koritz Clinic no injuries
GOLDSBORO, N.C. — The crash zone around an
F-15 fighter jet in Johnston County is still off limits to the public.
The
Air Force is working with Johnston County deputies to keep people out so
they can figure out why the plane crashed near Four Oaks late Wednesday
afternoon.
A man who helped find the missing crew said he feared the worst when the
F-15E Strike Eagle stationed at nearby Seymour Johnson Air Force Base
crashed just a short distance away into a heavily-wooded area.
The two pilots ejected just before the plane went down. Both were said to
be OK. Wednesday night. No one on the ground received any injuries, either.
"We saw the parachuters coming down, and we were worried more about them
than the plane at the time," said Jonathan Allen, who lives near the crash
site, about 25 miles from the base.
Allen and his wife, Lori, raced to the woodline, not knowing what to
expect. After the two pilots had ejected from the plane and fallen into
trees, there was a good chance they could be injured or unconscious.
Allen and a few others found a pilot in a tree.
"The lieutenant (Christopher Jackson), he was found about 30 feet off the
road," Allen said, "up in a tree about 25 to 30 feet high."
Jackson told Allen the plane had just taken off from the base.
"He told us the guy he was flying with was approximately half a mile
away," Allen said, "and he pointed in a direction, and we went up a path and
found him."
Maj. John Vorhees also was in a tree.
"The one who was in the back side of the field," Allen said, "he was
hurting from hanging there by all the straps of the parachute."
Allen said Voorhees eventually released his gear and dropped to the
ground.
Air Force 2nd Lt. Jamie Humphries praised the efforts of Allen and others
who came to the pilots' aid.
"The local community, the locals who observed the accident, who came to
help the pilots are much appreciated," Humphries said.
An investigation into the cause of the crash continued Friday. The base
said Jackson and Voorhees were doing fine Friday night, but neither pilot
was talking publicly about the crash.
JOHNSTON COUNTY, N.C. — Air Force officials are
investigating what caused a fighter jet to crash during a training exercise 25
miles west of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base Wednesday afternoon.
Military
officials said the pilot and the weapons systems officer ejected safely from the
F-15E Strike Eagle before it went down around 5 p.m. in a wooded area near
Strickland Crossroads Road in Four Oaks. The jet was assigned to the 4th Fighter
Wing at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.
Johnston County sheriff Steve Bizzell said one flier's parachute snagged in a
tree about 30 feet off the ground before he was rescued about an hour after the
crash.
"We're just grateful that our people are safe, and they get to go home to
their families," said Staff Sgt. Bryan Bouchard, a 4th Fighter Wing spokesman
who reported to the scene Wednesday evening.
Air Force emergency response teams were sent to the scene, about 25 miles
west of the base. A second Air Force jet circled over the crash scene.
Bizzell said the jet crashed in a heavily forested area away from any homes
or other structures. The plane caught fire after it went down, sending a thick
plume of black smoke into the sky above the forest.
Before putting out the fire, firefighters were warned to take special
precautions against the fumes, said Jason Barbour, an emergency operations
dispatcher.
On the ground, there were no reports of any injuries or damage to the
surrounding area.
Bizzell cautioned residents and motorists to stay away from the area where
the plane went down, adding that roadblocks had been set up on nearby roads.
Bouchard asked anyone who comes across crash debris to contact local law
enforcement.
Bouchard also said there did not appear to be any danger from fumes to the
public.
"We have individuals that are investigating the crash site," he said. "As far
as I know, there has been no call for anything precautionary in that matter."
One witness in the area said she was sitting outside with her mother when she
noticed the plane was in a downward spiral. Another witness commented about how
loud the crash was. There also reportedly was a strong smell of fuel.
David Massengill was clearing brush when he witnessed the plane falling.
"All of a sudden, we heard a loud noise," Massengill said. "I kept looking up
in the sky to see this plane that was coming. I couldn't never see anything,
then all of a sudden it fell down through the clouds. It just went in a spiral
motion, and we saw it hit the ground."
Samuel Grissom, 13, was helping his father, Bryan, put a roof on his uncle's
house when they saw the plane going down.
"I saw it was coming down from the clouds, and it was doing, like, 25
spirals," Samuel said. "Then all of a sudden, it just went behind the trees. And
there was an explosion, black smoke everywhere."
About 40 military officials were on the scene Wednesday night. Emergency
personnel reportedly had a difficult time reaching the crash site because of the
thick foliage and ground that was soggy from days of rain.
The crash marked the first time an Air Force jet from Seymour Johnson has
crashed in North Carolina during training in almost six years.
The Air Force says the F-15E Strike Eagle is packed with electronics systems
that give the jet the capability to fight at low altitude and perform its
primary duty as an air-to-ground attack aircraft. It also has the capability to
fight other aircraft on its way to a target.
The aircraft has a top speed of two-and-half times the speed of sound. Since
entering service in the 1970s, the Strike Eagle has never been shot down by an
enemy plane.
The F-15 is armed with a variety of missiles, depending on the mission. The
F-15E model also has an internally mounted 20 millimeter gun that can carry up
to 500 rounds.
The aircraft carries a crew of two -- a pilot and a weapons system manager.
Each of the fighter jets costs $31.5 million.
More than 1,000 members of the 4,500-member 4th Fighter Wing, which fly the
F-15Es, were deployed to the Middle East this year and flew numerous bombing
sorties on targets in Iraq before beginning to return home in April.
It was unknown Wednesday whether the jet or crew in Wednesday's crash was
deployed in Iraq.
7th April 2003
USAF
F-15E Strike Eagle
88-1694
SJ
4th
Fighter Wing Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C.
Operation Iraqi Freedom. Lost (shot down ??)
over Iraq near the city of Tikrit
Pilot Capt. Eric Das
KIA
RR
WSO Maj. William Watkins
MIA
WASHINGTON — The second of two Air Force
officers killed when their F-15 went down in Iraq was identified Wednesday as a
37-year-old Virginia man who leaves behind a pregnant wife and 11-month-old son.
Maj. William R. "Salty" Watkins III, 37, was the weapons system officer on the
plane when it went down April 7 during a combat mission near Tikrit, north of
Baghdad, the military said.
The Pentagon has not said whether the plane was shot down or was lost under
other circumstances. The pilot of the F-15E was Capt. Eric B. Das, of Amarillo,
Texas. His remains were identified last week.
Watkins' family was told the South Boston man was missing shortly after the
crash. Military officials notified the family of his death on Tuesday, said
Watkins' uncle, Tucker C. Watkins IV.
Watkins leaves a wife of five years, Maj. Melissa Watkins, an intelligence
officer stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina, and his
11-month-old son, William. Melissa Watkins is expecting the couple's second
child in August.
"Bill's legacy will continue in the lives of his two children as it will in
the memories that each of us holds dear of this truly caring and loving man,"
the family said in a statement. "We have always been and will continue to be
proud to have known him even for this very short time."
29th May 2003
USAF
F-15E
mishap
DETAILS ???
4th June 2003
USAF
F-15E
87‑0186
SJ
333rd FS (or
334th
Fighter Squadron)
crashed 16.50hr near Newton Grove (NC), about 35 miles
southeast of Raleigh
ACES II
Pilot ejected safely
WSO ejected safely
ACES II
25th March 2004
USAF
F-15 Eagle
Nellis Air Force Base
Horizontal stabilator failure. Crashed about 45
miles north of Nellis Air Force Base, Nev
pilot ejected safely with no injuries
ACES II
Thursday 6th May 2004
5:10 P.M
USAF
F-15E
88-1701
335th Fighter Squadron
4th Fighter Wing Seymour Johnson Air Force Base near Goldsboro, N.C
Bird Strike during low-level training mission. large black vulture was sucked
into the right engine, causing it to fail and starting a fire. Crashed in a
field and was destroyed upon impact near Callaway
ACES II
pilot, Capt. Darren P. "Bam Bam" Wees ejected safely
WSO Capt. Daniel C. Spier ejected safely
ACES II
June 30, 2006, 12:00 AM
To Eject from a Plane
It's like being punched and pulled in every
direction
By Captain Darren "Bam Bam" Wees, 29, Air Force pilot
Ejecting from a plane is the most violent thing I can imagine.
People have died from it. Limbs have been ripped off and bent
backward. I used to be five eight and a half. I'm now a half inch
shorter.
We were doing a training mission in Virginia in an F-15E, flying
low to the ground, fast. Me and my weapons-systems officer, Krusty.
Out of the right side, corner of my eye, I see a flash of a bird go
by. A black vulture.
Right then, there's a pretty good thump and a loud explosion. The
bird went down the intake into the engine. We're on fire.
Immediately. The whole back and right side of the jet.
I start flying away from the ground, but the aircraft is out of
control, rolling to the right. I'm putting in controls to the
left--I'm using all of them--and we're still rolling to the right.
We're upside down, right side up, upside down. We're climbing, but
the aircraft is slowing down, so now it's gonna pitch over and start
heading down.
We have to get out of this. Now. I radio my wingman to
clear away and then give the command: "Bail out! Bail out! Bail
out!"
On each side of the seat there's a handle. I pull the handles.
Immediately, the canopy punches out. So now it's real loud and
windy, and then the backseat punches out. Krusty's gone. It's less
than a second that I'm in the aircraft, but it seems like an
eternity. I'm death grip on the handles. My eyes are closed. I'm
totally tensing up, getting ready for Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. I hear
my wingman make a call to air-traffic control about us having to
eject. And then I go.
Don't know how to describe it other than sitting on a seat with a
rocket attached to it, flying out of a jet that's going three
hundred miles an hour. There is actually a rocket attached behind
the seat. It propels you up these rails in the jet and out a couple
hundred feet. I'm accelerating upward at twenty-two g's. If you
equate it to a roller coaster, after going down a hill, when it
starts to level off, you're pulling about two g's there. My body
feels like it weighs thirty-eight hundred pounds.
The main force is down on my butt, my legs, and my back. It's
crushing me into my seat, trying to pull my head away from the seat
and into my lap. It's like being punched and pulled in every
direction. I can feel my chin strap cutting into my chin, trying to
pull my helmet off. My chin splits open from the inside out. I let
out a pretty good grunt.
At that point, the seat punches me away like it's supposed to.
That feels like getting drop-kicked real hard right in the back. My
head and my feet get slung backward as I'm thrust forward. That's
the first time my eyes open. I see the seat fly away. My harness
pulls the parachute out of the seat as it separates, and as the
parachute inflates, I decelerate rapidly. It's a real jolt on my
shoulders. And then it's calm.
The whole sequence, from pulling the handles to being in a
parachute, is only three or four seconds. And then it's like a
four-and-a-half-minute parachute ride. It's the first time I can
contemplate what just happened.
First thing, I look over at Krusty coming down in his parachute
and see that he's okay. Feel good about that. Look over the other
way, see the jet going down in flames near the only house out in the
middle of these mountains. Don't feel good about that. Luckily, no
one was hurt.
By Captain Darren "Bam Bam" Wees, 29, Air Force pilot
Ejecting from a plane is the most violent thing I can imagine.
People have died from it. Limbs have been ripped off and bent
backward. I used to be five eight and a half. I'm now a half inch
shorter.
We were doing a training mission in Virginia in an F-15E, flying
low to the ground, fast. Me and my weapons-systems officer, Krusty.
Out of the right side, corner of my eye, I see a flash of a bird go
by. A black vulture.
Right then, there's a pretty good thump and a loud explosion. The
bird went down the intake into the engine. We're on fire.
Immediately. The whole back and right side of the jet.
I start flying away from the ground, but the aircraft is out of
control, rolling to the right. I'm putting in controls to the
left--I'm using all of them--and we're still rolling to the right.
We're upside down, right side up, upside down. We're climbing, but
the aircraft is slowing down, so now it's gonna pitch over and start
heading down.
We have to get out of this. Now. I radio my wingman to
clear away and then give the command: "Bail out! Bail out! Bail
out!"
On each side of the seat there's a handle. I pull the handles.
Immediately, the canopy punches out. So now it's real loud and
windy, and then the backseat punches out. Krusty's gone. It's less
than a second that I'm in the aircraft, but it seems like an
eternity. I'm death grip on the handles. My eyes are closed. I'm
totally tensing up, getting ready for Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. I hear
my wingman make a call to air-traffic control about us having to
eject. And then I go.
Don't know how to describe it other than sitting on a seat with a
rocket attached to it, flying out of a jet that's going three
hundred miles an hour. There is actually a rocket attached behind
the seat. It propels you up these rails in the jet and out a couple
hundred feet. I'm accelerating upward at twenty-two g's. If you
equate it to a roller coaster, after going down a hill, when it
starts to level off, you're pulling about two g's there. My body
feels like it weighs thirty-eight hundred pounds.
The main force is down on my butt, my legs, and my back. It's
crushing me into my seat, trying to pull my head away from the seat
and into my lap. It's like being punched and pulled in every
direction. I can feel my chin strap cutting into my chin, trying to
pull my helmet off. My chin splits open from the inside out. I let
out a pretty good grunt.
At that point, the seat punches me away like it's supposed to.
That feels like getting drop-kicked real hard right in the back. My
head and my feet get slung backward as I'm thrust forward. That's
the first time my eyes open. I see the seat fly away. My harness
pulls the parachute out of the seat as it separates, and as the
parachute inflates, I decelerate rapidly. It's a real jolt on my
shoulders. And then it's calm.
The whole sequence, from pulling the handles to being in a
parachute, is only three or four seconds. And then it's like a
four-and-a-half-minute parachute ride. It's the first time I can
contemplate what just happened.
First thing, I look over at Krusty coming down in his parachute
and see that he's okay. Feel good about that. Look over the other
way, see the jet going down in flames near the only house out in the
middle of these mountains. Don't feel good about that. Luckily, no
one was hurt.
By Captain Darren "Bam Bam" Wees, 29, Air Force pilot
Ejecting from a plane is the most violent thing I can imagine.
People have died from it. Limbs have been ripped off and bent
backward. I used to be five eight and a half. I'm now a half inch
shorter.
We were doing a training mission in Virginia in an F-15E, flying
low to the ground, fast. Me and my weapons-systems officer, Krusty.
Out of the right side, corner of my eye, I see a flash of a bird go
by. A black vulture.
Right then, there's a pretty good thump and a loud explosion. The
bird went down the intake into the engine. We're on fire.
Immediately. The whole back and right side of the jet.
I start flying away from the ground, but the aircraft is out of
control, rolling to the right. I'm putting in controls to the
left--I'm using all of them--and we're still rolling to the right.
We're upside down, right side up, upside down. We're climbing, but
the aircraft is slowing down, so now it's gonna pitch over and start
heading down.
We have to get out of this. Now. I radio my wingman to
clear away and then give the command: "Bail out! Bail out! Bail
out!"
On each side of the seat there's a handle. I pull the handles.
Immediately, the canopy punches out. So now it's real loud and
windy, and then the backseat punches out. Krusty's gone. It's less
than a second that I'm in the aircraft, but it seems like an
eternity. I'm death grip on the handles. My eyes are closed. I'm
totally tensing up, getting ready for Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. I hear
my wingman make a call to air-traffic control about us having to
eject. And then I go.
Don't know how to describe it other than sitting on a seat with a
rocket attached to it, flying out of a jet that's going three
hundred miles an hour. There is actually a rocket attached behind
the seat. It propels you up these rails in the jet and out a couple
hundred feet. I'm accelerating upward at twenty-two g's. If you
equate it to a roller coaster, after going down a hill, when it
starts to level off, you're pulling about two g's there. My body
feels like it weighs thirty-eight hundred pounds.
The main force is down on my butt, my legs, and my back. It's
crushing me into my seat, trying to pull my head away from the seat
and into my lap. It's like being punched and pulled in every
direction. I can feel my chin strap cutting into my chin, trying to
pull my helmet off. My chin splits open from the inside out. I let
out a pretty good grunt.
At that point, the seat punches me away like it's supposed to.
That feels like getting drop-kicked real hard right in the back. My
head and my feet get slung backward as I'm thrust forward. That's
the first time my eyes open. I see the seat fly away. My harness
pulls the parachute out of the seat as it separates, and as the
parachute inflates, I decelerate rapidly. It's a real jolt on my
shoulders. And then it's calm.
The whole sequence, from pulling the handles to being in a
parachute, is only three or four seconds. And then it's like a
four-and-a-half-minute parachute ride. It's the first time I can
contemplate what just happened.
First thing, I look over at Krusty coming down in his parachute
and see that he's okay. Feel good about that. Look over the other
way, see the jet going down in flames near the only house out in the
middle of these mountains. Don't feel good about that. Luckily, no
one was hurt.
loss of fuel to both engines resulted in a
dual-engine flameout. Crashed about 60 miles north of Nellis Air Force Base, Nev
pilot ejected and sustained minor injuries
June 19, 2004
NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. - An Air Force pilot
safely ejected Friday from a military jet that crashed in the Nevada desert
during a training mission.
Maj. David Graff, an instructor, was treated and released from a hospital at
Nellis Air Force Base, said Capt. Maureen Schumann, a spokeswoman with the Air
Warfare Center at Nellis, where Graff is based.
The single-seat F-15C jet crashed in a remote desert area reserved for
military operations. The $29 million aircraft was on a training mission with
another jet, Schumann said. The crash is under investigation.
The crash occurred about 60 miles northeast of the base and about 70 miles
northeast of Las Vegas.
12/29/2004 - LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. (AFPN) -- A
loss of fuel to both engines resulted in a dual-engine flameout causing an F-15
Eagle to crash June 18 about 60 miles north of Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.,
according to an Air Force report released Dec. 29.
The pilot ejected and sustained minor injuries. The aircraft, valued at $31.9
million, was destroyed on impact. It was assigned to the 57th Wing at Nellis.
In the opinion of the accident investigation board president, the loss of fuel
was most likely caused by the left and right fire warning light buttons being
inadvertently activated, cutting off fuel flow and making it impossible to
restart either engine.
Based on his experience with the F-15 aircraft, Gen. Hal M. Hornburg, then
commander of Air Combat Command, was not convinced the pushbuttons were the
source of the fuel starvation, but he approved the report because it met the
requirements of Air Force Instruction 51-503, Aerospace Accident Investigations.
(Courtesy of ACC News Service)
4th October 2004
USAF
F-15
collided 100 miles off the coast of Okinawa, Japan.
Landed safely
4th October 2004
USAF
F-15
collided 100 miles off the coast of Okinawa, Japan.
Landed safely
NAHA, Okinawa — The Okinawa Prefectural Assembly on Wednesday unanimously
adopted a protest resolution against an Oct. 4 accident involving two U.S. Air
Force F-15 fighter jets.
The resolution called for halting F-15 and F/A-18
flights from the air base until the military makes public the cause of the
accident and announces measures taken to prevent any future incidents.
Two F-15s from the 12th Fighter Squadron, deployed to Kadena Air Base until
January from Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska, bumped each other while flying
in a military training area about 125 miles south of Okinawa’s main island.
The left wing of one fighters and the vertical stabilizers of the other were
damaged. Both jets returned safely to Kadena Air Base with no injuries to the
pilots.
“The accident shocked and angered people of Okinawa,” the resolution stated.
“Should one step go wrong, it could have been a major disaster involving
civilian areas.”
“Same as the case with a crash of a CH-53D helicopter in Ginowan, flights of
the fighter jets have been resumed the very next day (after) the accident,
before determining the cause ... and without taking preventive measure, which is
extremely inexcusable and absolutely unacceptable,” the resolution stated. The
assembly also demanded that all military aircraft cease flying over civilian
areas for drills and exercises.
The assembly next is to deliver the resolution to the U.S. ambassador to
Japan, the commander of U.S. Forces Japan, the U.S. Forces Japan Okinawa area
coordinator and the U.S. Consulate General on Okinawa, prefectural officials
said.
25th March 2005
08:35
USAF
F-15C
80-0052
ACC
53WEG
422TES
control loss against F-22's. Crashed on the Nellis AFB, NV range
pilot
ejected OK
flown back to the base
ACES II
Jets assigned to Nellis Air Force Base were
to be grounded this weekend as officials investigated a fighter crash Friday
morning, the second such crash at the airfield in a week.
The pilot in the latest crash, involving an F-15C Eagle in Nellis' 422nd Test
and Evaluation Squadron, safely ejected as his jet smashed into a remote area 45
miles northeast of Nellis during a training mission about 8:35 a.m.
The cause of the
15th August 2005
USAF
F-15
1st November 2005
USAF
F-15
tail damage while flying over water. Forced to make
an emergency landing
13th December 2005
USAF
F-15
engine failure at RAF Lakenheath
17th January 2006
USAF
F-15
78-498
44 FS
area W-173 near Kadena AB
Pilot ejected, rescued
ACES II
TOKYO, Japan (AP) -- The U.S. military says a pilot ejected safely from a U.S.
F-15 fighter jet that crashed near Okinawa island on Tuesday morning.
The plane went down around 0100 GMT Tuesday ( 8 p.m. ET Monday) off the coast of
Ikeijima island, part of the Okinawa island chain, according to Noriaki Hatake,
an official at the Naha Defense Facilities Administration in Okinawa.
Hatake said the cause of the crash was unknown. The U.S. Kadena Air Base said
the pilot ejected safely from the plane and was rescued. He was in good
condition.
Okinawa is about 1,000 kilometers (660 miles) south of Tokyo.
Jets assigned to Nellis Air Force Base were
to be grounded this weekend as officials investigated a fighter crash Friday
morning, the second such crash at the airfield in a week.
The pilot in the latest crash, involving an F-15C Eagle in Nellis' 422nd Test
and Evaluation Squadron, safely ejected as his jet smashed into a remote area 45
miles northeast of Nellis during a training mission about 8:35 a.m.
The cause of the
Wednesday
30th May 2007
11 a.m. EDT
USAF
ANG
F-15D Eagle
SL
78-0571
[ from
110 FS
St.Louis-Lambert]
CONFIRM
??
131st Fighter Wing
Missouri Air National
Guard
ACES II
Crashed in southwestern
Indiana at
Military Operating Area
Red Hills. Cause was a
jammed control cable
Pilot
Maj. Steven "2 Dogs" deMillianoejected safely
FEEDBACK
". . . Reference
the mishap dated
Wednesday
30th May 2007
11 a.m. EDT.
The photo indicates the jet is in
fact 78-571,
this is the last jet I crewed anywhere, she was at Kadena at the time I had
her. She was a good jet
with no
serious issues and a large number of flying hours on the clock. She wasn’t my
favorite jet but she wasn’t my worst either.
The pilot for the 6 May 1994 mid-air was Maj.
“Hoss”
Kindred. I think there was a video of this mishap from the F-16 HUD VTR (seen
at military.com shock and awe), which if correct showed the -16 passing from
bottom to top thru the forward fuselage/cockpit area. I was stationed
at Langley
when this happened but I had been at Kadena before the crash and knew the Major.
Robert D. Dedmon in email 9th February 2010
VINCENNES, Ind. --
An Air National Guard
pilot with 15 years'
experience escaped
serious injury Wednesday
when he ejected from his
F-15, just moments
before the fighter jet
crashed into a
southwestern
Indiana
farm field during a
training exercise.
The jet from the
Missouri Air
National
Guard's
131st Fighter Wing went
down at 10:49 a.m. EDT
in a lightly populated
rural area near the
Indiana-Illinois state
line, south of
Vincennes, the Air Guard
said.
Monday
11th June 2007
11:23 a.m
USAF
F-15C Eagle
Langley Air Force Base,
Va
Collided during a
training exercise about
90 miles east of
Fairbanks in central
Alaska with a Nellis
based F-16-C, that
landed safely with pilot
Maj. Brett R. Paola
uninjured
Pilot Maj. Jason W.
Costello ejected safely.
Sustained some injuries
ACES II
Tuesday 26th June 2007
afternoon
USAF
F-15 Eagle
142nd
Wing
Oregon Air National Guard,
Portland,
USA
Crashed into the Pacific Ocean during a training mission.
Maj.
Gregory D. Young died in the crash
ACES II
Monday 13th August 2007
CHECK DATE
USAF
F-15 Eagle
44th Fighter Squadron Kadena Air
Base,
Okinawa
Participating
in the Valiant Shield Exercise.Went off the runway at the Guam International
Airport. No damage to the plane
Pilot OK. Normal egress
no ejection
Friday 2nd November 2007
10:00 CDT
USAF
F-15C Eagle
80-0034
SL
???
St.Louis-Lambert
110th Fighter Squadron
131st Fighter Wing at
-St. Louis International Airport, Missouri Air National Guard
Crashed (MOA) near the
community of Viburnum, in a section of the Mark Twain National Forest
Pilot
Major Stephen W. Stilwell
ejected, taken to a local
hospital for treatment
ACES II
The serial number for the jet that broke up on Nov 2, at least according to Air
Forces Monthly Magazine, was 80-0034.
1st Lt. Ali Jivanjee ejected
rescued from the water and taken to local
hospital
died later
ACES II
Wednesday 30th July2008
11:30
USAF
F-15D Eagle
85-131
65th Aggressor Squadron
57th Wing
Nellis Air Force Base
Went into a spin that could not be
recovred
USAF
ACES II
Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Bouley
[Commander of 65th Aggressor Squadron]
killed
RAF officer
injured [taken to
Mike O'Callaghan Federal Hospital]
ACES II
FEEDBACK
Hello. I just checked out your site
Get Out and Walk very nice site. Lots of research. My hat is off to u for that..
Bit of info : F-15D of 65th Aggr. Sdn. lost on 7/30/08 was a/c serial # 85-131.
Info courtesy of Combat Aircraft magazine. I have pictures of -131 @ Nellis
Aviation Nation 2007. Will scan and send pics soon. Check me out @ JeffsJets.Net.
A simple site that is growing...
Respectfully
Jeff Mizell in email 21st January 2009
Saturday 18th July 2009
03:15
USAF
F-15E
Strike Eagle
336th Fighter Squadron
'Rocketeers
4th Fighter Wing'
Seymour Johnson Air Force Base
North Carolina
[deployed from the Goldsboro base in April for a
four-month tour of duty]
Crashed
in Kabul, in the Nawur district of Ghazni province in
central Afghanistan
ACES II
Capt. Mark R. McDowell
Pilot
killed
Capt. Thomas J. Gramith
WSO
killed
ACES II
Monday 21st March 2011
2130 GMT
USAF
McDonnell-Douglas
F-15E-51-MC Strike Eagle
91-304
LN
492nd FS
[Madhatters]
48th FW
Based at Royal Air
Force Lakenheath, England,
flying out of Aviano Air Base
Taking part in
Operation Odyssey Dawn. Crashed near Bu Mariem,
about 24 miles (38 kilometres) east of Benghazi, due
to mechanical problems over Libya.
ACES II
Major Kenneth Harney
ejected
rescued by USAF Helicopter
Captain Tyler Stark
ejected
rescued by opposition rebels
ACES II
Both crew members
safely recovered, having suffered only minor
injuries, and back in US hands
Date
Air Force
A'cft
Unit / Serial
based
crashed
crew
photo
seat
29th
September 1979
IDF/AF
F-15A
Eagle
676
133 sqn Knights of the Twin Tail
DID PILOT / CREW EJECT
ACES II
19th March 1981
Israeli DF/AF
F-15
Bird Strike - collision with large flock of
storks. Managed to land
Lt. Col. "Y"
no ejection
ACES II
1st May 1983
IDF/AF
F-15D Eagle
"957"
ACES II
Collided with A-4N or H during DACM.
Landed minus one of its wings. Both crew safely. The
aircraft was subsequently repaired
left the aircraft. NO EJECTIONS
The Skyhawk pilot ejected.
Pilot Zivi Nedivi egressed
safely on the ground
WSO
Gal Yeho'ar egressed safely on
the ground
This mishap is the cause for much speculation with many people claiming the
incident never happened. If you have any definitive details to either prove or
disprove the event please contact me
FEEDBACK
Reference wingless Israeli F-15 #957, attached is
a description and pictures. Also, History Channel produced a segment on the
incident, including an interview with the pilot.
Mid-air collision during DACM with
F-15A
Eagle
684 (Ehud Falk
CO of the 133 Sqn killed). Crashed near the Dead Sea,
Lt.Col. Ram Caller killed at ejection
ACES II
or
Escapac IC.7
15th August 1988
IDF/AF
F-15A
Eagle
684
133 sqn Knights of the Twin Tail
Mid-air collision during DACM Crashed near the Dead Sea,
Ehud Falk
CO of the 133 Sqn killed
ACES II
15th August 1988
IDF/AF
F-15A
Eagle
672
133 sqn Knights of the Twin Tail
Lt. Col. Ram Caller killed at ejection
ACES II
or
Escapac IC.7
10th February 1991
IDF/AF
F-15C
Eagle
821
106 sqn Edge of the Spear
DID PILOT / CREW EJECT
Israel Ornan ejected, but drowned
ACES II
or
Escapac IC.7
10th August 1995
09:34
Israeli DF/AF
F-15D Eagle
965
Multiple bird strikes with storks at
low level (1000 ft / 540 knots). Crashed into the ground in the Nahal Tasin wadi
bed in Israeli Hanegev-territory
Crew did not have time to react to
order given by their Sqn Cmdr to "Eject"
via Yossi Leshem
via Yossi Leshem
ACES II
Captian Ronen Lev
killed
no ejection
Captain Yaron Vivent
killed
no ejection
ACES II
24th January 1997
[also seen as
13th or 19th January 1997]
CONFIRM ???
Israeli DF/AF
F-15B
Eagle
137
or
"733"
52/B010
Crashed after entering a flat spin, caused by bird hit, while
on ACM, in Negev near Kibbutz Revivim during a weekend training exercise."A
number of ostriches raised by the kibbutz died of shock or suffocation from
running into each other."
ACES II
pilotCfir safely ejected
navigatorYavaisafely ejected
ACES II
1st March 1998
Israeli DF/AF
F-15B Eagle
142
106 SQ
Crashed
DETAILS ???
ACES II
ACES II
An air force F-15 flying low over the West Bank yesterday in a routine training
run hit an antenna on Mount Eval, outside Nablus, and crashed into a nearby
mountain. The two aviators died instantly.
They were identified as pilot Maj.
Uriel Kolton, 27, from Bat Yam, and weapons officer Capt. Uri Manor, 21, from
Haifa. Both are to be buried today.
4th Augst 1998
Israeli DF/AF
no ejection
ACES II
F-15A Eagle
689
damaged on an aborted take-off.
Two years later returned to service.
Date
Air Force
A'cft
Unit / Serial
based
crashed
crew
photo
seat
20 October 1983
18:32
First F-15 accident in Japan.
JASDF
F-15DJ
12-8053
202nd Hikoutai Nyuutabaru AB, Miyazaki
Prefecture
during night low-altitude training, crashed into Pacific
ocean, 180 km east of Nyuutabaru AB
ACES II
Pilot killed
WSO killed
ACES II
13 March 1987
Japanese DF
F-15J
Eagle
42-8840
204 HIKOTAI
crashed into the sea 100 miles E of Hyakuri,
Japan
ACES II
29 June 1988
16:18
JASDF
F-15J
22-8804
303 HIKOTAI, Komatsu AB, Ishikawa
Prefecture.
during air combat training, while evasive
manoeuvring, the number 2 in the defensive flight of two, and
the number 3 in the offensive flight, collided, caught fire,
and crashed into the Sea
of Japan, about 180 km northwest of Komatsu
AB.
Pilot killed
ACES II
29 June 1988
16:18
JASDF
F-15J
22-8808
303 HIKOTAI, Komatsu AB, Ishikawa
Prefecture.
Pilot killed
ACES II
26 January 1990
Japanese DF
F-15J Eagle
42-8832
... HIKOTAI
ACES II
2 July 1990
JASDF
F-15J
52-8857
204th Hiktoutai
Practised 2 vs 2 radar intercept combat training above
Kashimanada Sea, 70 km east of Hyakuri AB, Ibaraki Prefecture.
At 19:24, while descending from 10,000 feet to 5,000 feet, and
returning to base, disappeared from radars, and crashed into
ocean, about 70 km east of Hyakuri AB.
pilot killed
ACES II
13th December 1991
10:01
Japanese DF
F-15DJ Eagle
12-8079
201st
Hikoutai
Chitose AB
explosion in
rear of aircraft during
the approach
to Komatsu AB. crashed in the Japan
Sea, northwest of Komatsu AB. during the approach of Komatsu AB, Japan.
Pilot ejected at height 600 m
ACES II
27th October
1992
15:25
Japanese DF
F-15J
Eagle
72-8884
204th
Hikoutai
Hyakuri AB
crashed in
the sea 55 km from Kitaibaraki City, Ibaraki Prefecture
45 miles NE of
Tokyo, Japan into Pacific Ocean.
Pilot ejected and recovered
by a fishing boat and taken by a SAR helicopter, but died
on way to hospital
About 20 km south of
Tomakomai City, Hokkaidou, above Pacific Ocean, had
fuel system problem and
crashed into Sea of the coast of Northern Japan.
ACES II
ejected and recovered
ejected and recovered
ACES II
6 October 1995
JASDF
F-15J Eagle
303 HIKOTAI
Komatsu AB Japan
burnt out after a failed
take off
ACES II
22nd
November 1995
JASDF
F-15J
72-8846
303rd Hikouta
i6th Kokudan
Komatsu AFB
accidentally shot down with a Sidewinder AIM-9L from another
F-15
Wingman
Cpt.
Hino Junya
(62-8870)off Nott peninsula,
about 165 km north-northeast of Komatsu AB into the Sea of Japan off Ishikawa Prefecrure
Lt. Tatsumi Higuchi
ejected safely. He was rescued by a passing fishing
boat and then picked up by a JASDF Helicopter
ACES II
22-11-1995
JASDF
F-15J Eagle
02-8919
303 HIKOTAI
Crashed after Cpt. Higuchi Tatsumi was shot down
by an AIM-9L sidewinder fired by another JASDF F-15 flown by Cpt.
Hino Junya during air-to-air combat training, he called 'Safe'
when firing for the 'Kill' Tatsumi ejected and was picked up
safe. conf.
ACES II
Date
Air Force
A'cft
Unit / Serial
based
crashed
crew
photo
seat
Wednesday / Thursday
7/8th June 2006
8:20 p.m
South Korean AF
F-15K Eagle
Daegu air base
Crashed into the East Sea (Sea of Japan) some 30 miles (48 km) off the coast of
Pohang
ACES II
Maj. Sung Dae Kim killed
Captain Lee Jae-uk killed
ACES II
Date
Air Force
A'cft
Unit / Serial
based
crashed
crew
photo
seat
27th September 1976
Royal Saudi Air Force
F-15C Eagle
799/041
611
6sq
repaired
DETAILS APPRECIATED
ACES II
25th August 1982
Royal Saudi Air Force
F-15D Eagle
731/008
1317
13sq
DETAILS APPRECIATED
ACES II
ACES II
1st September 1982
A Saudi Air Force F-15 fighter crashed near the city
of Dhahran Wednesday after an engine caught fire,
Government sources said today. The pilot reportedly
parachuted to safety.
1st February 1984
Royal Saudi Air Force
F-15C Eagle
788
1308
13sq
DETAILS APPRECIATED
ACES II
1-9-1986
Royal Saudi Air Force
F-15C Eagle
610
6 SQN
Crashed near Khamis Mushayt,
Saudi Arabia, after colliding with F-15C 611
ACES II
1-9-1986
Royal Saudi Air Force
F-15C Eagle
611
80-0102
6 SQN
Crashed near Khamis Mushayt,
Saudi Arabia, after colliding with F-15C 610
ACES II
28th August 1988
Royal Saudi Air Force
F-15C Eagle
511
80-0105
5sq
Crashed near Al Hesa, Saudi Arabia
DETAILS APPRECIATED
ACES II
27th September 1986
Royal Saudi Air Force
F-15C Eagle
794/040 610
6sq
DETAILS APPRECIATED
ACES II
14th February 1991
Royal Saudi Air Force
F-15C Eagle
514
730/013
5sq
DETAILS ???
pilot & his fate
???
DETAILS APPRECIATED
ACES II
14th December 1995
Royal Saudi Air Force
F-15C Eagle
813/046 1322
13sq
DETAILS APPRECIATED
ACES II
5th September 1995
Royal Saudi Air Force
Tornado ADV
704
7sq
damaged
DETAILS APPRECIATED
ACES II
2nd July 1996
Royal Saudi Air Force
F-15C Eagle
1170/051
1327
13sq
Crashed after a mid-air collision with another F-15C RSAF in the eastern part of
Saudi Arabia
Pilot killed
ACES II
2nd July 1996
Royal Saudi Air Force
F-15D Eagle
90-272
1192/017
1332
13sq
Crashed after a mid-air collision with another F-15C RSAF in the eastern part of
Saudi Arabia
Pilot killed
ACES II
25th September 1997
Royal Saudi Air Force
F-15C Eagle
802/042 502
5sq
DETAILS APPRECIATED
ACES II
30th April 1999
Royal Saudi Air Force
F-15C Eagle
750/020
504
5sq
DETAILS APPRECIATED
ACES II
2nd June 1999
Royal Saudi Air Force
F-15C Eagle
739/016
1314
13sq
DETAILS APPRECIATED
ACES II
31st October 1999
Royal Saudi Air Force
F-15C Eagle
806/043 505
5sq
DETAILS APPRECIATED
ACES II
28th November 1999
Royal Saudi Air Force
F-15C Eagle
716/009
503
5sq
DETAILS APPRECIATED
ACES II
15th February 2000
Royal Saudi Air Force
F-15C Eagle
DETAILS APPRECIATED
ACES II
1st January 2002
evening
Royal Saudi Air Force
F-15S Eagle
1293/SA036
9211
92sqn
King Abdel Aziz air base
technical fault, on a night training
mission when it crashed about 90 miles west of King Abdulaziz Airbase in the
Eastern Province
Pilot
Major Fahd Abdullah
Al-Zamel
Killed
ACES II
Captain Terad
Murayei Al-Shahrani
Killed
ACES II
31st March 2003
F-15C Eagle
514
5sq
damaged
DETAILS APPRECIATED
ACES II
Wednesday 21st January 2004
Royal Saudi Air Force
F-15S Eagle
9219
92sqn
King Abdel Aziz air base
technical fault, ???
Pilot Sultan ibn Turki Al-Farem
Killed
ACES II
WSO Nasser ibn Abdul Rahman Al-Rasheed
Killed
ACES II
16th September 2004
Royal Saudi Air Force
F-15C Eagle
1307
13sqn
King Abdel Aziz air base
Crashed at air base during joint exercise
"Gulf Spears" with air forces from other member states of the Gulf Cooperation
Council
First Officer Mohammed Ahmad Al-Kubaiby
Killed
ACES II
January 2005
Royal Saudi Air Force
F-15 Eagle
King Abdul Aziz Air Base
Crashed during a training mission at
the base
Pilot killed
ACES II
WSO killed
ACES II
Is this accident report from
Arab Sources confused with the January 2004 crash ????
September 2005
Royal Saudi Air Force
F-15S Eagle
5505
55sq
DETAILS APPRECIATED
ACES II
Wednesday 1st November 2006
9:30
Royal Saudi Air Force
F-15C Eagle
792/039
1313
13th squadron
King Abdel Aziz air base
crashed in an eastern region of the
kingdom in a zone for military training of King Abdel Aziz air base
"80 KILOMETER WEST OF KING ABDULAZIZ AIR BASE IN THE EASTERN SECTOR"
[SOURCES: KUNA; Saudi Arabian Media; Pakistan Defence Forum]
pilot Captain Abdullah Abu thnain
ejected safely
ACES II
5th November 2006
Royal Saudi Air Force
F-15C Eagle
1311
13sq
damaged
ACES II
JEDDAH, 2 November 2006 — A Royal Saudi Air Force
F-15 crashed yesterday morning in the Eastern
Province. The pilot ejected before impact. The
Ministry of Defense and Aviation announced yesterday
that at 9.30 in the morning an F-15 defense jet of
the Saudi Royal Air Force had crashed during a
training mission in a training zone 80 kilometers
west of King Abdul Aziz Air Base in the Eastern
Province.
The aircraft was completely destroyed
but no casualties were reported since the pilot
ejected and the crash occurred in an uninhabited
area, the ministry’s statement said. A committee has
been named to investigate the reasons for the crash
of the plane which is estimated to have cost some
$48 million.
Last Sunday a civil defense helicopter crashed
during a rescue operation 140 km south of Al-Aflaj.
Saudi authorities have launched an investigation
into the crash. The team was on a mission to rescue
an elderly man who had become stranded in the desert
when his vehicle broke down. The helicopter was
worth more than SR70 million.
The source said preliminary reports attributed
the crash to bad weather and the failure of the
pilot to evaluate the risk factors correctly,
especially as the operation was carried out at
night.
In 2004, there were two accidents as F-15s
crashed in the same area. The first incident
occurred on Jan. 21. Two crewmembers of an F-15
fighter plane died during a training flight at the
King Abdul Aziz Air Base. The dead were identified
as Sultan ibn Turki Al-Farem and Nasser ibn Abdul
Rahman Al-Rasheed.
One source told Arab News that the plane crashed
on a restaurant inside the base. As a result, an
Egyptian worker at the restaurant was killed and two
others — an Indian and a Filipino — were injured.
On Sept. 16, 2004 a Saudi Royal Air Force pilot
died when his F-15 aircraft crashed during a
training exercise. The crash occurred at the King
Abdul Aziz Air Base during Gulf Spears, a joint
exercise with air forces from other member states of
the Gulf Cooperation Council. The pilot was named as
First Officer Mohammed Ahmad Al-Kubaiby.
Monday 23rd May 2011
[20
Jumada II 1432]
Royal Saudi Air Force
McDonnell Douglas F-15
Eagle
King Abdul-Aziz Air
Base
(Dhahran)
Saudi Arabia
Routine training
flight. Crashed in the Eastern Province near the
base.
Lt. Saif bin
Abdullah
Jawehl
killed
ACES II
Acknowledgements
&
References
Peter Steehouwer for permission to
reproduce his photos of the 1981 Soesterberg mishap at the
airshow
Visit his excellent website
www.steehouwer.com
for more aviation related photographs