Pilot Dies After 2 Air Force Jets Collide

Air Force Says F-15s Crashed Into Gulf Of Mexico; Other Pilot In Good Condition

(CBS/AP)  The Air Force says one of the two pilots whose fighter jets crashed into the Gulf of Mexico has died. The other pilot is in good condition.

The Air Force says the two single-seat F-15C Eagles likely collided and crashed during a training exercise Wednesday off the Florida Panhandle.

The pilots were able to eject and were later rescued.

Coast Guard Petty Officer James Harless said a Coast Guard rescue jet located one pilot and radioed the location to a fishing vessel, which picked him up. A Coast Guard helicopter then hoisted the pilot off the vessel.

That pilot told rescuers he saw the other pilot also eject, but lost him in the clouds, Harless said. He told them the approximate location for the second pilot, who was found by a Coast Guard helicopter, Harless said.

Harless added that no debris from the jets has been found yet.

Coast guard officials in New Orleans told CBS News affiliate WWL-TV that they responded to a distress call 40 miles off the coast from Tyndall Air Force Base.

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.

[danceswithfa]

Two less airplanes and one less pilot to conduct Bush''s mass murders.

Too bad the people in the military are too spineless to stand up for what is good and right in the world, unfortunately they just follow immoral orders like "good Germans".

[bhappy2-2]

There has only been two fighters in the US inventory, and they were both designated F-4.

Regards,

Posted by Nancy_Naive

You really are naive, aren''t you. There are several fighters in our inventory. Aircraft can usually be defined by their designation:
A is ATTACK
B is BOMBER
C is CARGO
D, E and T are Trainers
F is FIGHTER
H is HELICOPTER
X is EXPERIMENTAL
Thus, an AH1J (COBRA) would be an ATTACK HELICOPTER, JET powered.

Just a brief lesson; I know I haven''t covered them all.

My condolences and heartfelt appreciation to the families of these brave men and women who choose to serve in our defense.

[therangedog]

It''s our military men and women''s dedication and our freedoms. The pilot is gone and nothing will bring him back. The investigation will reveal some lessons learned to avoid other training accidents. I don''t know the pilot, but I learned that he is the son-in-law of our school''s speech therapist. I can pray for the families.

[therangedog]

It''s our military men and women''s dedication and our freedoms. The pilot is gone and nothing will bring him back. The investigation will reveal some lessons learned to avoid other training accidents. I don''t know the pilot, but I learned that he is the son-in-law of our school''s speech therapist. I can pray for the families.

[therangedog]

It''s our military men and women''s dedication and our freedoms. The pilot is gone and nothing will bring him back. The investigation will reveal some lessons learned to avoid other training accidents. I don''t know the pilot, but I learned that he is the son-in-law of our school''s speech therapist. I can pray for the families.

[therangedog]

It''s our military men and women''s dedication and our freedoms. The pilot is gone and nothing will bring him back. The investigation will reveal some lessons learned to avoid other training accidents. I don''t know the pilot, but I learned that he is the son-in-law of our school''s speech therapist. I can pray for the families.

[therangedog]

It''s our military men and women''s dedication and our freedoms. The pilot is gone and nothing will bring him back. The investigation will reveal some lessons learned to avoid other training accidents. I don''t know the pilot, but I learned that he is the son-in-law of our school''s speech therapist. I can pray for the families.

[therangedog]

Like all pilots, he worked hard and earned his wings. It''s our military men and women''s dedication and our freedoms. The pilot is gone and nothing will bring him back. The investigation will reveal some lessons learned to avoid other training accidents. I don''t know the pilot, but I learned that he is the son-in-law of our school''s speech therapist. I can pray for the families.

[therangedog]

Like other pilots, he worked hard and earned his wings. It''s our military men and women''s dedication and our freedoms. The pilot is gone and nothing will bring him back. The investigation will reveal some lessons learned to avoid other training accidents. I don''t know the pilot, but he is the son-in-law of our school''s speech therapist. I can pray for her and her daughter and for the comfort of the pilot''s family.

[therangedog]

The pilot is a person. He chose to serve America. Like other pilots, he worked hard and earned his wings. It''s our military men and women''s dedication and our freedoms. The pilot is gone and nothing will bring him back. The investigation will reveal some lessons learned to avoid other training accidents. I don''t know the pilot personally, but he is the son-in-law of our school''s speech therapist. I can pray for her and her daughter and for the comfort of the pilot''s family.

[therangedog]

Despite the politics, the pilot is a person. He chose to serve America. Like other pilots, he worked hard and earned his wings. It''s our military men and women''s dedication and our freedom to live as we choose. Tragically, the pilot is gone and nothing will bring him back. Perhaps the investigation will reveal some lessons learned to avoid other training accidents. I don''t know the pilot personally, but he is the son-in-law of our school''s speech therapist. I can pray for her and her daughter''s comfort and for the comfort of the pilot''s family.

[therangedog]

I agree with Darbysmom. Despite the politics, the pilot is a person, a human life. With his talents and education, he chose to serve America. It might not even be a sacrifice for him to become a pilot as he was willing, like other pilots, to work hard and earned his wings. It''s not about riches or material wealth. It''s about our military men and women''s dedication and our freedom to live as we choose. Tragically, the pilot is gone and nothing will bring him back. Perhaps the investigation will reveal some lessons learned to avoid other training accidents. I don''t know the pilot personally, but he is the son-in-law of our school''s speech therapist. I do know her and I can pray for her and her daughter''s comfort and for the comfort of the pilot''s family.

[masterbrat1]

My heart goes out to all the Brave Men and Women who put thier life on the line to protect my Freedom.May God have mercy on thier souls and family.But lets not forget the ones who risk thier life diving down to recover missile ect. We all should be grateful for what we have and be Grateful thier are Brave Men and Women who risk it all for the USA and your Freedom!! God Bless you all. I''ll shall keep you all in my Prayers all THE BRAVE SOULS!!! Thank you for my freedom you are deeply appreciated !!! and in keeping remember the ones who came before you and the ones who shall fallow you. Thank you Brave Souls Masterbrat1 aka Deb God Bless you all!!!!!!!!

[elbo7]

Dear Darbysmom...ditto! Anyone who would openly celebrate a loss like this is sick and completely unworthy of your consideration. The majority of Americans do support the people who defend our country; your husband''s service is appreciated more than you know.

[staycalm]

God bless that poor young pilot who risked his life for all of us. And God bless his family and God bless Darbysmom for telling it like it is. The God I''m referring to, Zootallures, is not the God that is worshipped by mental and moral defectives like you but the God of mercy and justice.

[darbysmom]

It makes me sick to think that some of you are speaking badly about the pilot that died. I live at Eglin AFB and my husband is in the Air Force. I some times wonder why the hell my husband risks his life for your freedom. You may not agree with the politics of this war. But that is not the soldiers that is the government. I guarantee if someone came over here and killed your family you would be crying for the military to give you justice. That pilot that died yesterday was a person just like you and me and deserves to be respected and grieved. You have no idea the sacrifice that military families make to protect this country and the innocents of this war. All you see is the bad. But you have no idea what goes on over there so keep your ******* mouth shut.

[elbo7]

Do you honestly think God is rejoicing, like you are, about the death of this pilot? Don''t spout hate and claim to be a Christian--it''s dishonest and disgusting.

[mistered9]

Where would you be today Zootaliures2 if it wasn''t for those piolets that fly these missions? Probably where you now are, in Hell.

[mistered9]

If God is more powerful then people. why is all this *** going on.? People are God.

They are blambing the F-15 for piolet error.

[zootallures2]

Don''''t confuse the generally honorable people who serve their country with the "loons" that direct them - the civilian leadership. The leadership - the president - is the one to be angry with, not the brave souls who are on the front lines.

And the F-15C is strictly a fighter. It can''''t bomb anyone.

Posted by rafterman1 at 09:25 AM : Feb 21, 2008

That''s what happens when people worship people and not God.