Breaking- F-15 crash in the North Sea

a reply to: Zaphod58

No doubt there are circumstances which would render such a system useless, but I would think these the exception rather than the rule. A catastrophic airframe failure, explosion, etc...sure. Just seems like a worthwhile weight and power penalty (albeit very small) given such a situation is always going to involve losing the aircraft and potentially the crew.

In any case...RIP to the pilot (from your subsequent post). May his family find comfort in his memory.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

There's also the added complexity, and more systems to repair issue. I agree it could be useful to have a system like that, but it's more weight and complexity as well as the other issues given.

Tweet from RAF Lakenheath (@48FighterWing)

RAF Lakenheath (@48FighterWing) Tweeted:

The pilot of the downed F-15C Eagle from the 48th Fighter Wing has been located, and confirmed deceased.

This is a tragic loss for the 48th Fighter Wing community, and our deepest condolences go out to the pilot's family and the 493rd Fighter Squadron.

t.co... twitter.com...

Just saw that. RIP brother. Its a dangerous biz
I hope it wasnt an Eglin style deal where two cats ran into one another practicing a scissors move.




.a reply to: Grinch

a reply to: lakenheath24

Doesn't seem to be. The other three aircraft stayed in the area and initiated SAR until they RTBd together.

a reply to: lakenheath24

86-0176.

Damn...cant think of anything that requires an immediate ejection that far out. 75 miles off the coast? Maybe the longerons snapped like the A models? Who knows.

I tell ya what. It aint a nice feeling when your jet dont come back....,regardless of specialty.



a reply to: Zaphod58

a reply to: lakenheath24

We had a helo with Test Group in for phase, many years ago. Not knowing much about the helo side, I took advantage of it being in the hangar to poke around. A week or two later, she went out with another helo and HC-130 to pull a guy off a ship that the Coast Guard couldn't get to, and came home on the deck of the ship in pieces. We lost seven crew members that day. They held out hope for one of the PJs, but he was on the cable and she came down on him.

Sad times. I don’t know why but it brings it closer to home knowing that the pilot operated out of my country and more than likely lived and spent a lot of time in the U.K.

RIP sir

a reply to: ThePeaceMaker

It always does when it's one of "yours". It's an aircraft and pilot you might have seen flying out of the base, or even run into in the store somewhere.

a reply to: Zaphod58
That’s exactly how it feels. Sounds silly but it gets me thinking, whenever I’ve driven past the base while working, to think that pilot could of been there. Or the local Tesco I delivered to in Brandon a few miles down the road from the base he could of done his grocery shopping there. I could of passed him on the road when he may of been driving in the area. It’s a little strange. I know the users on the Lakenheath spotters page have taken a heavy hit some of them who had taken photos of the actual aircraft involved

Feels as though it was only a few years ago but, On the 15th June 1998 a Panavia Tornado F3 crashed in to the sea off Flamborough Head killing both pilots.

Mad how it is on the same day roughly same area too.
aviation-safety.net...

RIP to the pilot of the F-15 & the pilots of the F3

Word through the grapevine is that there was a mayday call, but no ejection.

a reply to: Zaphod58

With your knowledge Zaphod, can you speculate what happened, possibilities?
Strange mayday call was triggered but no ejection. Could that be a system failure in the ejection seat?
Then we have the problem of why did the pilot clearly lose control over the plain? That we shall have to wait and see.

Rainbows
Jane

The pilot has been identified as 1LT Kenneth Allen. He was the assistant chief of weapons and tactics for the 493rd FS.

a reply to: angelchemuel

There's not enough information. It could be something as simple as spatial disorientation, if it was foggy, to something as stupid as paint buildup on the nose causing him to go out of control (that's a real thing that happened to another LN jet).

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: angelchemuel

There's not enough information. It could be something as simple as spatial disorientation, if it was foggy, to something as stupid as paint buildup on the nose causing him to go out of control (that's a real thing that happened to another LN jet).

Did the designers not devide this horizon instrument into two colors so when there is fog or a moment of spatial disorientation the pilot can always determine what is up and down..without the need to urinate themselves?

a reply to: zatara

They did, but you tend to react to your body more. It's not easy to train yourself to trust your instruments more. The F-35 is the best aircraft in the world for situational awareness, but one crashed in Japan due to spatial disorientation.

UK spotter group showing class.

a reply to: zatara

When you are fighting you aren’t looking at the artificial horizon.