Oct 22, 2007 -- News Release
United States Air Force
Headquarters Air Combat Command, Office of Public Affairs
115 Thompson Street, Suite 211, Langley Air Force Base, Va., 23665-1987
(757) 764-5007 Fax (757) 764-4941
E-mail: acc.pam@langley.af.mil
Release No: 10-07-05
Oct. 22, 2007
F-15 ACCIDENT REPORT RELEASED
LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. - A jammed Aileron Rudder Interconnect crossover cable, a cable which transfers a pilot's flight control inputs to the aircraft, caused the crash of a Missouri Air National Guard F-15D, eight miles south of Vincennes, Indiana, May 30.
The pilot ejected from the aircraft and received minor injuries. The $43.7 million aircraft, assigned to the Missouri Air National Guard's 131st Fighter Wing, was destroyed on impact. There were no fatalities. The crash caused minor damage to two farms. The pilot was the only crewmember aboard the dual-seat F-15D model.
According to the Air Combat Command Accident Investigation Board report, the F-15D's flight controls became unresponsive to the pilot's inputs approximately 20 minutes into a basic flight maneuvers training mission, due to the jammed ARI crossover cable. The cable jammed while the aircraft was descending and in a left-hand turn, rendering the aircraft virtually unrecoverable. The F-15D's altitude when the controls became unresponsive did not allow the pilot adequate time to attempt corrective courses of action.
Investigators determined that the ARI crossover cable was properly installed, inspected and maintained prior to the mishap.
For more information, contact the ACC Public Affairs office at (757) 764-5007 or e-mail accpa.operations@langley.af.mil.