Posted on 05/30/2007 11:41:37 AM PDT by KeyLargo
F-15 Fighter Jet Crashes In Southwestern Indiana Officials: Pilot Ejected, Thought To Be Uninjured
UPDATED: 2:24 pm EDT May 30, 2007
VINCENNES, Ind. -- A Missouri National Guard F-15 pilot ejected safely from the aircraft just before it crashed during a training mission in rural Knox County Wednesday morning.
The plane went down at about just before 11 a.m. EDT south of Vincennes, near the Illinois border, as it conducted standard training maneuvers, according to a release from the National Guard.
The plane was affiliated with the 131st Fighter Wing, which is headquartered at Lambert Field in St. Louis.
Capt. Jim Jensen with the Indiana Air National Guard in Terre Haute said the pilot apparently was able to walk to a police officer and was taken to Vincennes Hospital to be checked.
"It sounds like he's fine," Jensen said.
The aircraft was conducting standard training maneuvers as part of a four-aircraft formation. No other aircraft was damaged, Missouri Air National Guard Capt. Tamara Spicer said.
Capt. Jamie Melchert, a spokesman for the Missouri National Guard, said there were no reports of injuries on the ground.
"We're thankful and fortunate for that," he said.
The Air Force will convene a safety investigation board, which will take at least 30 days to reach a conclusion about what caused the crash.
Investigators said the plane was flying at about 20,000 feet prior to the crash. The pilot had been with the 131st Fighter Wing for 12 years and was highly experienced, officials said. The unit had most receontly enforced no-fly zones in Iraq.
Members of the Indiana Guard's 181st Fighter Wing were heading to the site to secure it, the Indiana Guard said.
Witness Willie Mayberry told Evansville television station WFIE that he saw two jets dogfighting before the crash.
"I saw one of them make a loop and start to lose altitude," he said. "Then all of a sudden I saw the pilot eject, the seat separated from him and I saw the parachute open. Then all of the sudden, the jet hit the ground. I saw a billow of black smoke and then a big old ball of fire."
The F-15 Eagle is an all-weather, extremely maneuverable tactical fighter, according to an Air Force fact sheet.
The crash is the third of a fighter jet in southern Indiana since 2001.
On May 17, 2004, two F-16 fighter jets from the 181st Fighter Wing collided during routine training near the Indiana-Illinois state line. One of the pilots was killed, and the second parachuted to safety.
In July 2001, an F-16 from the 181st Fighter Wing crashed near Parkersburg, Ill., about 70 miles southwest of Terre Haute. The pilot ejected safely.
AVIATION PING
Depending on attitude and airspeed - possibly about -20 feet above ground level.
I’m guessing the plane is currently at about -5 feet, depending on the size of the crater.
This area is about 25 miles from me and 5-6 miles south of one of our concrete plants. Landed in a bean field well away from any homes.
Who sez nuthin’ evah happens in Vincennes?
I am glad he was able to avoid houses and the plant and still eject. he may be a Zoomie, but he is still a brother in arms.
As I said, I am glad he was able to miss structures as an F-15 crashing could have caused major damage. F-15s are not small planes. Knowing this, I saw one parked at an airshow next to a WWII B-24 bomber and was still shocked to see how big an F-15C is in comparison. Or maybe how little a B-25 is.
Y’all o riginally from there?
Could be contaminiated fuel as well.
My Grandmother was from Washington, Indiana and ‘m wondering if that is near where this happened? Do you know? Thanks.
OR, um ... no fuel.
The gauge mighta been faulty on remaining fuel on board.
Losing BOTH engines at FL 20 coulda been a formation-induced flameout with no re-light. Or he/they might have shifted to flying lower and been taken out by a bird strike.
Speculating, I know. But geesh ... an F-15 can take a good bit of battle damage and keep flying. Weird.
25 miles I work in Washington. Born and raised there.
Well I’m glad to hear that the pilot punched-out, hope he’s OK!
Sometimes they will bounce a little bit.
I had exactly the same impression the first time I saw an F-4 Phantom at an airshow. It was huge compared to an ME-109 and a P-51 Mustang that were there. I would like to have a time machine so I could show stuff like that to WW2 pilots flying little old Grumman F4F's.
BTTT
Glad he got out.
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