View Full Version : U.S. fighter jet crashes in Afghanistan
green granite
18th Jul 2009, 07:14
From Yahoo News:
KABUL (Reuters) – A U.S. F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet crashed in eastern Afghanistan on Saturday, the U.S. Air Force said, and a military source said both crew members on board were killed.
The Air Force said in a statement that the crash, which took place at 3:15 a.m. local time (2245 GMT on Friday), was not due to hostile action.
"There is an active investigation going on at the site at this time," Air Force spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Reid Christopherson said by telephone from Qatar, the main base of U.S. air operations in the Middle East and Central Asia.
Christopherson declined to discuss the status of the crew members, but a military source in Kabul confirmed they had been killed. The source asked not to be identified pending the Air Force's official announcement of the deaths.
The Strike Eagle is a variant of the F-15 supersonic jet designed to strike ground targets and provide close air support for infantry.
It has been deployed widely in both Afghanistan and Iraq.
Spugford
18th Jul 2009, 07:32
Awful news.
RIP
gashman
18th Jul 2009, 07:43
All the best to the guys deployed out there, RIP to the lost crew.
Squirrel 41
18th Jul 2009, 08:02
Awful news - the little I've worked with them, I've always found the Mud Hens a thoroughly good bunch.
Thoughts with the family at this time.
RIP
S41
fallmonk
18th Jul 2009, 11:58
Terrible news ,
my thoughts are with the crews family , and also they guys n girls out there who knew them
DelaneyT
18th Jul 2009, 15:25
...what would likely cause an F-15E to crash at night with the loss of both crew members (??)
Hostile action has apparently been ruled out.
We have many decades of data on aircraft crashes & causes. It's instinctive for military flyers to consider what might have caused the loss... while awaiting more detail -- and the "official" final report.
Duncan D'Sorderlee
18th Jul 2009, 16:16
RIP
Condolences to our cousins across the pond; and to those in harm's way.
Duncs:ok:
I have spent many days with our American cousins and found them to be consumate professionals.
RIP my colonial friends. Will buy you a beer when I see you later...
heavybuffet
19th Jul 2009, 09:48
RIP brothers. I have called on your services many times on operations and the guys on the ground were always very happy to have a Strike Eagle on task. Your sacrifice has saved many coalition lives.
Heavy Buffet
DelaneyT
19th Jul 2009, 12:45
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
July 18, 2009
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — An American fighter jet crashed early Saturday in central Afghanistan because of mechanical problems, killing two crew members, officials said.
Col. Greg Julian, a United States military spokesman, said the pilot of a second fighter aircraft flying alongside the first jet saw no evidence of hostile fire. Colonel Julian said on his Twitter site that mechanical problems caused the crash. Afghan authorities described the remote area where the plane went down as peaceful.
No fighter jets have crashed in Afghanistan in years...
Colonel Julian said on his Twitter site that mechanical problems caused the crash
Really ? I consider myself one of the younger members and all for technological advances of the Air Force, but using twitter to declare reasons for crashes at such an early stage (whether it's true or not) ?
Seems wrong to me.
DelaneyT
6th Dec 2009, 19:46
Crew error led to F-15E crash
Posted : Sunday Dec 6, 2009 8:32:35 EST
High above Afghanistan, in the dark, {the mishap pilot} pointed the nose of his F-15E Strike Eagle at a practice {strafing} target on the ground. He thought the dry lake bed was 4,800 feet above sea level...
It was 10,200 feet high.
The F-15E went into a 31-degree dive going 515 mph. The jet’s ground collision alarm snapped on, lighting up display screens with arrows pointing up and a computer voice warning four times to “pull up.”
...Three seconds after the alarm came on, the jet crashed, killing both airmen. They didn’t try to eject.
The Air Combat Command accident investigation board is attributing the July 18 crash, the first fighter-jet crash in Afghanistan since the war started, to aircrew mistakes...
As the Strike Eagles flew over the lake bed, none of the four airmen realized their jets’ radar altimeters and laser rangefinders showed the lake bed was 10,200 feet high...
The lead F-15E made the first run but aborted the attack because the dive was not steep enough. The second F-15E... started its dive 22 seconds later. And crashed.
Air Combat Command is reviewing pre-deployment night strafing training.
The four airmen were all considered experienced...
A similar crash {night strafe with night-vision-goggles} June 22 claimed the life of an F-16 pilot in a training mission over Utah.
:(
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Report: Crew error led to F-15E crash - Air Force News, news from Iraq - Air Force Times (http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2009/12/airforce_f15e_crash_120609w/)