Safety

Most F-15s Cleared to Fly Again

posted: 09 January 2008 11:51 am ET

: An F-15A Eagle launches an AIM-7 Sparrow missile during a Weapons System Evaluation Program. The F-15 is from the 110th Fighter Squadron, 131st Fighter Wing, Air National Guard, Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, Mo. The U.S. Air Force's Air Combat Command now has cleared most A-through-D-model F-15s to return to flight status following inspections and engineering data analysis, after the crash of an F-15C on Nov. 2 was found to be due to structural failure of its upper longeron structure. Credit: U.S. Air Force
: An F-15A Eagle launches an AIM-7 Sparrow missile during a Weapons System Evaluation Program. The F-15 is from the 110th Fighter Squadron, 131st Fighter Wing, Air National Guard, Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, Mo. The U.S. Air Force's Air Combat Command now has cleared most A-through-D-model F-15s to return to flight status following inspections and engineering data analysis, after the crash of an F-15C on Nov. 2 was found to be due to structural failure of its upper longeron structure. Credit: U.S. Air Force
: An F-15A Eagle launches an AIM-7 Sparrow missile during a Weapons System Evaluation Program. The F-15 is from the 110th Fighter Squadron, 131st Fighter Wing, Air National Guard, Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, Mo. The U.S. Air Force's Air Combat Command now has cleared most A-through-D-model F-15s to return to flight status following inspections and engineering data analysis, after the crash of an F-15C on Nov. 2 was found to be due to structural failure of its upper longeron structure. Credit: U.S. Air Force

LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. -- U.S. Air Force Air Combat Command today cleared the majority of its F-15 A-to-D-model aircraft to return to flying status.

Air Combat Command (ACC) also recommended a limited return to flight for Air Force F-15 units worldwide following engineering risk assessments and data received from multiple fleet-wide inspections.

The return-to-flight order and recommendation applies only to those F-15s, about 60 percent of the total Air Force F-15 A-to-D-model fleet, that have cleared all inspections and have met longeron manufacturing specifications.

The order and recommendation follows more than two months of stand-down actions after an Air National Guard F-15C aircraft experienced catastrophic structural failure and broke apart in flight during a basic fighter maneuver training sortie in Missouri on Nov. 2.

"The priority in resuming operations for a portion of the F-15 fleet is the defense of our nation -- America deserves nothing less," said General John Corley, Air Combat Command commander.

"Aircraft inspection results and counsel from both military and industry experts have made me confident in the safety of a portion of the fleet. As a result, I have cleared those F-15s to return to fly," said Gen. Corley.

Today's decision follows a detailed briefing on Friday to ACC by the Air Force's F-15 systems program manager, senior engineers from Boeing and the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center (WR-ALC), as well as a briefing received today from the president of the Accident Investigation Board that the U.S. Air Force convened to investigate the Nov. 2 accident.

Information presented in the briefing included an analysis of the health of the Air Force's F-15 fleet from findings from the Nov. 2 mishap investigation; maintenance inspections and actions completed and taken to date; and historical science and engineering trend data from F-15 fleet management.

Inspections of the F-15 fleet are more than 90 percent complete. Remaining inspections have primarily focused on each aircraft's forward longerons. The longerons are a critical support structure.

Inspections have discovered nine other aircraft with longeron fatigue-cracks. Additionally, approximately 40 percent of inspected aircraft have at least one longeron that does not meet blueprint specifications.

Deviations in these longerons will be analyzed at the WR-ALC. The analysis is expected to take approximately four weeks to complete. Once the analysis is complete, ACC will be more able to determine which aircraft will need further inspection, or repair, before returning them to flight.