Sixty Percent Of F-15 Eagle Fleet Cleared And Fit To Take To Air
In November many of the American F-15 fighter jets were grounded because of a mishap involving a Missouri National Air Guard Jet. The Missouri Jet broke up in midair south of St. Louis, on a training mission.
Nearly two hundred sixty active F-15 Jets were returned to full operational duty on January 8th following complete inspections. The jets were examined in minute detail from nose to their tail.
A report detailing the Missouri accident was released today, and it cites the structural component on the jets called a longeron. This component failed and the jet broke into two parts. The pilot despite being injured was able to parachute back to earth safely after the aircraft broke apart.
“We are very fortunate that our pilot survived in this case,” said General John Corley. General Corley is the Commander of Air Combat Command, located at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia.
The F-15 fighter jet is the root backbone of the United States Air Defenses domestically. The technical study of the wreckage of the crashed F-15 determined that the component was not up to specifications.
“This was a poor part that had been under stress for nearly thirty years,” said Corley. The stress on the part and the fact it was not up to specifications caused it to fail, and the jet broke apart.
All the F-15 jets that were returned to service had been inspected in fine detail.
