Aircraft by type

McDonnell Douglas
F-15 Eagle
Losses & Ejections

PLEASE CAN YOU HELP WITH ANY AIRCRAFT or CREW PHOTOS ??
OR
ADD / AMEND ANY DETAILS

   Operators

Air Force

based

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

CONFIRM

Engine

 flamed out during ACM with F‑5Es into North Sea 15 miles SW of Doggersbank, off the coast of Cromer, Norfolk (UK)

CONFIRM

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

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".

in email 20th May 2008 *continued

 53 TFS

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".

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,
 

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.)

Body recovered from the aircraft on Saturday 29th June 1985

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

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

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

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"
 

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

 
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
 
 

F-4 Phantom II

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]

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

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

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

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.

Ken

Thanks to webmaster www.slobberinwolfhounds.com for update 14th August 2007

CHECK LOCATION

after collision with F‑161379‑0419/HI 466th TFS 419th TFW (which landed safely),

.
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.^[

NYT 29th December 1989

The actual tail number  was masked by a large "4th."

Major Thomas E. Griffith,
Jr

Col. David W. Eberly ejected - evaded capture until 22nd January 1991 POW

128th TFS 116th TFW Dobbins Air Force Base
Georgia ANG

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.

 

[Previously shown as Lieutenant Sean Murphy - corrected 30th August 2011]

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

FEEDBACK

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

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

following G‑induced loss of consciousness on his first solo flight,

 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).

*Captain Robert was awarded the Koren Kolligian Jr. Trophy for his action in saving the aircraft.

"   .   .   .   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

Thanks to Tim West & John Richardson for providing the answer and more details to the above question.

336th FS

pilot Capt.

 Brian J. Udell ejected was rescued by USCG

pilot Maj. Donald Grey Lowry died on his way

to the hospital

100 miles E of Elmendorf AFB (AK) in Yukon‑Charley Rivers National Preserve, during

 exercise Cope Thunder,

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

10th January 1997

85-0099
EG

 58 FS

pilot Maj. Pete

 Whelan ejected safely

1st Lt.

 David M. Nyikos ejected.  was rescued by USCG helo an hour later

NYT 25th November 1997

391 FS

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.

85 TES / 53 WG

85 TES / 53 WG

Capt. William Cooley

Both rescued by helos

WHO WAS IN WHICH AIRCRAFT ???

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
 

110th FS
131st FW
Missouri Air National Guard

"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

Lt. Col. Kenneth Hyvonen killed

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

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

6th April 2003
16:50

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.

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.

SL
78-0571
[ from 110 FS
St.Louis-Lambert]

 CONFIRM ??

". . . 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

Maj. Gregory D. Young died in the crash

80-0034

SL
???
St.Louis-Lambert

199th FS

154th Wing
Hawaii Air National Guard

news link

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 

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]

Air Force

based

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. 

It can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LveSc8Lp0ZE

in email 26th February 2011

Crew did not have time to react to order given by their Sqn Cmdr to "Eject"

24th January 1997

[also seen as 13th or 19th January 1997]

CONFIRM ???

52/B010  

DETAILS ???

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.

Air Force

based

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.

Komatsu AFB

Air Force

based

"80 KILOMETER WEST OF KING ABDULAZIZ AIR BASE IN THE EASTERN SECTOR"

[SOURCES: KUNA; Saudi Arabian Media; Pakistan Defence Forum]

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.

[20 Jumada II 1432]

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