USAFE releases AIB report on F-15E crash in Libya

United States European Command ^ | 12/14/2011 | USAFE Public Affairs

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany -- United States Air Forces in Europe officials released the results of their investigation into the March 21 crash in Libya of an F-15E Strike Eagle as it performed combat operations enforcing the United Nations mandated no-fly zone established for Operation Odyssey Dawn.

At the conclusion of the investigation, the board president, Col. Scott Shapiro, USAFE Chief of Strategic Airlift Capabilities, found clear and convincing evidence that the cause of the mishap was the aircraft's sudden departure from controlled flight because it exceeded the critical angle of attack during an Air Force-approved combat maneuver. Other contributing factors to this accident include the pilot conducting an AF-wide acceptable maneuver for the F-15E at a previously untested altitude and lateral asymmetry (unbalanced aircraft).

Both the pilot and weapons systems officer survived the crash by successfully ejecting before the aircraft impacted in an unpopulated area near Benghazi. Remains of the aircraft were later destroyed so critical systems information and equipment could not be salvaged by foreign forces.

Both the pilot and WSO were temporarily deployed to Aviano Air Base Italy at the time of the incident. Both are members of the 492nd Fighter Squadron, 48th Fighter Wing, Royal Air Force Lakenheath, United Kingdom.

The convening authority, USAFE Vice Commander Lt. Gen. Stephen Mueller, approved the board president's report without comments.

The primary purpose of the board was to provide a publicly releasable report of the facts and circumstances surrounding the accident. An executive summary of the report is available at http://usaf.aib.law.af.mil/index.html.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Full report here. Warning, large file: http://www.airforce-magazine.com/SiteCollectionDocuments/Reports/2011/December%202011/Day19/AIB_F-15E_032111.pdf

[SkyPilot]

USAFE Chief of Strategic Airlift Capabilities, found clear and convincing evidence that the cause of the mishap was the aircraft's sudden departure from controlled flight because it exceeded the critical angle of attack during an Air Force-approved combat maneuver. Other contributing factors to this accident include the pilot conducting an AF-wide acceptable maneuver for the F-15E at a previously untested altitude and lateral asymmetry (unbalanced aircraft).

My God.

As a former Air Force pilot, all I can say is we never would have won WW II with scrutiny and double talk like this.

Shoe clerks.

[DoughtyOne]

Specificity is crucial, but it all boils down to pilot error.

Oh well. Glad they made it out okay.

[PilotDave]

I simply don’t believe this report. I firmly believe it was lost to ground fire. Obama can’t admit that. F-15’s don’t just depart from overbanking. They have been known to return to base with only 1 wing, literally.

[LibLieSlayer]

How can you trust anything out of a government that lies everyday and to such an extent that one knows that most if not all of what they say is lies?

LLS

[ProtectOurFreedom]

I'm not a pilot, but even I can't fathom this gobbledygook: "sudden departure from controlled flight because it exceeded the critical angle of attack during an Air Force-approved combat maneuver."

How can you simultaneously be in an "AF-approved maneuver" and "exceed the AOA"? Seems to me the pilot must have exceeded the envelope and therefore the first part can't be true. Something smells here.

[HANG THE EXPENSE]

And feather merchants.

[spetznaz]

I simply don’t believe this report. I firmly believe it was lost to ground fire. Obama can’t admit that. F-15’s don’t just depart from overbanking. They have been known to return to base with only 1 wing, literally.

Exactly. It was most probably lost to groundfire. Reading the part that states ....

'Other contributing factors to this accident include the pilot conducting an AF-wide acceptable maneuver for the F-15E at a previously untested altitude and lateral asymmetry (unbalanced aircraft).'

....more or less proves it. Why would a pilot perform an 'AF wide acceptable maneuver' at a 'previously untested altitude' unless he was trying to evade something?

[HANG THE EXPENSE]

Or the structure failed aft of the cockpit.I wonder when the last D check was conducted on that bird.Something smells to high heaven about this.

[straps]

Having been a member of he 492 Tac Ftr Sqdn for 3.5 years in the 60s this is pure bull do do...pure and simple I believe the 492nd flys the c/d models the 494th flys the E Model which is a fighter interceptor so why send it on a fighter bomber mission something and someone is lieing like a dog. Especially with a lib at the head of the usaf onitwit probably told Panetta we must have no failures and a poor dumb fool is covering for Mr Lead from Behind......

[HANG THE EXPENSE]

Complete morons are running the show.What a fugging nightmare it is.Thank you for your service BTW.

[TLI]

Remains of the aircraft were later destroyed so critical systems information and equipment could not be salvaged by foreign forces.

Critical systems on a regular F-15 are obliterated after splattering into the ground at speed.

Top Secret drones are untouched and abandoned intact to IRAN after a nary-a-scratch landing.

Yeah, got it jug ears.

We FULLY understand.

.