The Air Force has grounded all noncritical F-15 fighter jet missions after one of the aircraft crashed in southern Missouri last Friday, November 2, 2007.
The accident remains under investigation, according to an Air Force news release, but preliminary findings point to "a possible structural failure" of the aircraft. It described the suspension of some F-15 operations as a precautionary measure.
An unidentified Missouri Air National Guard pilot safely ejected from an F-15C Eagle just before Friday’s crash in rural Boss, Mo. The pilot parachuted to safety but suffered a dislocated shoulder, broken arm and minor cuts. He was released from Barnes-Jewish Hospital on Saturday.
The 1980 model F-15 was built by McDonnell Douglas in St. Louis.
The single-seat aircraft was one of four Missouri Air National Guard aircraft involved in a training mission over southern Missouri. The other three fighter jets returned safely to Lambert Field, where the 131st Fighter Wing is based.
The F-15 now flies out of bases in the United States, Japan, England and the Middle East. There are more than 700 in the Air Force inventory, according to the Air Force.
"It's a widely deployed aircraft and suspension is significant," said U.S. Air Force Maj. Cristin Marposon.
Air Force spokeswoman Jennifer Bentley said Monday the F-15s will remain available for combat or if something happened in the U.S. or overseas requiring a combat response -- a terrorist attack, for example. Otherwise, they're grounded indefinitely.
"It's not a decision made lightly," Bentley said. "Until we can find out what the problem is, it's the safest thing to do."
Bentley declined to speculate on how long the grounding would last, noting the investigation into the crash in Missouri has just begun.
The planes were built by Boeing in Hazelwood and provide a large proportion of the Air Force's air-to-air fighter fleet, though the Air Force plans eventually to replace them with F-22 Raptors. They are deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan and will continue to fly missions there, an Air Force spokeswoman said. But training flights are grounded indefinitely.
Boeing said it is helping the Air Force with its investigation and has been since the crash Friday.
“We're working with them. We're certainly at their disposal,” said spokeswoman Patricia Frost. “We want our customer to know that we're there.”
The suspension won't affect F-15 missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, Marposon said.
Since 1975, Boeing has built more than 1,500 of the planes for the U.S. Air Force, Israel, Saudi Arabia and Japan. It has no more planes in production for the U.S., but recently delivered the 26th out of 40 F-15Es to South Korea and is negotiating an order for 20 more. It is also starting production on 24 F-15Es for Singapore. The new planes cost more than $100 million apiece.
The company has no more planes in production for the Air Force. It recently delivered the 26th out of 40 F-15Es to South Korea and is negotiating an order for 20 more. It is also starting production on 24 F-15Es for Singapore.