Pilots rescued after 2 Air Force planes disappear off Florida
Pilots rescued after 2 Air Force planes disappear off Florida
Comments 
0
Published: February 20, 2008
PENSACOLA, Fla. - Two fighter jets went missing during a training mission over the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday, but the pilots were later rescued, the Air Force said.
Eglin Air Force Base spokeswoman
Shirley Pigott said the pilots were rescued after their single-seat
F-15C Eagles disappeared Wednesday afternoon off the
Florida Panhandle, about 35 miles south of
Tyndall Air Force Base.
More than 60
Coast Guard personnel had been involved in the search using multiple helicopters, cutters and jets, said
Coast Guard Petty Officer James Harless. Air Force officials are investigating.
The Air Force grounded all of its F-15s — nearly 700 — after the catastrophic failure of an F-15C during a routine training flight in
Missouri in November. The pilot safely ejected.
Most were back in service by January, but others were grounded indefinitely after defects were found.
The Air Force began using the F-15C in 1979. The planes, built by
McDonnell Douglas Corp., were deployed to the
Persian Gulf in 1991 in support of
Operation Desert Storm and have since been used in
Iraq,
Turkey and
Bosnia.
The planes can fly up to 65,000 feet and each costs about $30 million, according to the Air Force.
Leave a Comment
News Photo Galleriesview all
Prev
Something to say about this topic? Submit a Letter to the Editor online
Thank you for joining our conversations on newsok. We encourage your discussions but ask that you stay within the bounds of our terms and conditions. Please help us by reporting comments that violate these guidelines. To review our rules of engagement, go to Commenting and posting policy.
Log in below or sign up (it's free).