Lakenheath F-15 down, North Sea

[Beatts]

Reports of an F-15 down from Lakenheath in North Sea. Three KC-135R in the area now.

[ORAC]

Fingers crossed, the water will still be very cold at this time of year.

[chopper2004]

Originally Posted by Beatts

Reports of an F-15 down from Lakenheath in North Sea. Three KC-135R in the area now.

Plus Hull based S-92 and TASMAN Cobham Falcon, saw on ADSb Coast Guard S-92

cheers

[ORAC]

https://www.arrse.co.uk/community/th...5-down.300441/

[ORAC]

Twitter

[ORAC]

One report that the pilot ejected. Humberside RESCUE912 Coastguard helicopter has been scrambled.

[hoss183]

Lets hope he/she is ok. With an EPIRB and a quick response one would hope.

[dead_pan]

Originally Posted by Beatts

Reports of an F-15 down from Lakenheath in North Sea. Three KC-135R in the area now.

Hope there is a good outcome for this.

I believe the KC-135s are there for other reasons (supporting an ongoing MYTEE B-52 flight), unless they've been called in to support the SAR effort, which would be unusual.

[ORAC]

From reports I believe the crash happened just east of Flamborough. The KC-135s were in a towline well to the east.

The four ship reportedly working D323, which means the.crash happens well west of the play area.

Twitter

[ORAC]

Twitter

[SATCOS WHIPPING BOY]

Originally Posted by dead_pan

Rumours of a collision with another F15, which recovered safely to Lakenheath with a cracked canopy

unlikely. I think folk are seeing Panther's return to Lakenheath just now on a 7700 and putting 2+2 together to get 5.

Events are several hours apart.

[hoss183]

E3 seems in the wrong place (related to RNLI headings and reports) I suspect there's an exercise going on and the E3, KC135 and some of the RN further south (Tideforce and others) were doing their own thing.
Having said that, i guess it can get a fix on a EPIRB from a distance, no need to circle the crash area.

[Fortissimo]

E3 seems in the wrong place (related to RNLI headings and reports) I suspect there's an exercise going on and the E3, KC135 and some of the RN further south (Tideforce and others) were doing their own thing.

The E3 seems to be in exactly the right place for optimum use of its radar system. If it is too close the area of interest disappears into the cone of silence - the radar can't see through the fuselage or wings.

Fingers crossed for a successful outcome.

[Green Flash]

Oh, here's hoping upon hope but the SAR cab is now giving it maximum licks in the direction of Hull, fingers crossed that the POB has increased by one.

[SATCOS WHIPPING BOY]

Originally Posted by Green Flash

Oh, here's hoping upon hope but the SAR cab is now giving it maximum licks in the direction of Hull, fingers crossed that the POB has increased by one.

Certainly hope. The one going reciprocal does not bode well though. Could just be a refuel changeover.

Fingers remain firmly crossed.

[Suvarnabhumi]

Cobham Falcon 20 👍🏻

[SATCOS WHIPPING BOY]

Originally Posted by ORAC

From reports I believe the crash happened just east of Flamborough. The KC-135s were in a towline well to the east.

The four ship reportedly working D323, which means the.crash happens well west of the play area.

https://twitter.com/bledwine/status/...910316544?s=21

Just noticed this Orac. D323 group of areas is huge and mainly comes close to the coastline. Some even inland. If they were meant to be in D323 play area then that is where they were, not "well west of..."

[medod]

In a tweet timed 1257 BST RAF Lakenheath state that sadly the pilot is still missing.

Twitter

[Kabobble]

Originally Posted by harrogate

There's a lot of gear in the air over the North Sea right now. KC-35 that was holding directly over the area is now enroute back to Mildenhall.

At least two Ospreys, two eurofighters, a C130, and another Eurofighter over Lakenheath, with another E3 (additional to the one in the North Sea) over East Anglia. This is in addition to the dozen or so seacraft and the second SAR S92 of the day in the area.

Someone is putting a lot of eyeballs in the sky, presumably before nightfall. RAF and USAF tankers are both doing laps.

Does anyone know what visibility is like in the search area?

[gums]

Salute!

In the area of the most experienced air defense radar system in the world, I find it hard to fathom not having a position for a crash or loss of contact within a mile of the event.

Maybe one of the Brits here can explain to this old interceptor pilot.

Gums asks....