honoluluadvertiser.com

Sponsored by:

Comment, blog & share photos

Log in | Become a member
The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Monday, December 10, 2007

Air Force grounds F-15s again after cracks found

Associated Press

TOKYO — Cracks were found in two F-15s deployed in Japan during an investigation that followed the crash of the fighter jet in the United States last month, the U.S. military said Thursday.

The cracks were in the upper longerons — parts near the canopy — on two of the aircraft, which were among 30 inspected F-15s deployed at the Kadena Air Base on Japan's southern island of Okinawa, the Air Force said.

The Air Force issued a third flight suspension order for the fighters worldwide since an F-15C crashed in Missouri last month, injuring its pilot.

Metallurgical analysis of the crashed Missouri aircraft drew attention to the upper longerons near the canopy.

The Hawai'i Air National Guard has 18 of the twin-tail fighters, which serve in a homeland defense role for the state. The aircraft also are available for worldwide taskings.

In the interim, Hawai'i had been covered by F-16 Fighting Falcons from the Minnesota Air National Guard.

Hawai'i has A, B, and C models that are on average 25 years old, officials said.

The Air Force said the longerons, which are major structural components that run the length of the aircraft on its side, appeared to have cracked and failed.

Suspect aircraft also were identified in Oregon and Florida.

Hawai'i National Guard spokesman Capt. Jeff Hickman said all three inspections have been completed on the Hawai'i aircraft, with no structural issues found.

"They're complying with everything," Hickman said. "We're just pretty much waiting to find out if they get any more details from that Missouri crash."

The Air Force said the F-15s will not return to operation until analysis, as well as necessary inspections and repairs are completed.

Japan's Air Self-Defense Force said its inspection of all its roughly 200 F-15 jets since the crash has found no problems.

More than 700 F-15s are in its worldwide inventory, according the Air Force. F-15s fly from bases in the U.S., England, Japan and the Middle East.

The U.S. Air Force has been using the F-15 since the mid-1970s. The fleet is currently being replaced by the F-22 Raptor, but F-15s still make up a significant percentage of its fighter jets.

The U.S. military, which occupies large parts of Okinawa under the bilateral security pact, has F-15s at their bases.

Advertiser military reporter William Cole contributed to this report.