Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

2 pilots eject from F-15 when it leaves runway in Illinois

Military officials say two pilots ejected safely from an F-15 fighter jet when the aircraft left a runway while landing at a southwestern Illinois airport

Via AP news wire
Tuesday 18 May 2021 14:50 EDT
Military Jet Pilots Eject
Military Jet Pilots Eject

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Two pilots ejected safely from an F-15 fighter jet Tuesday morning when the aircraft left a runway while landing at a southwestern Illinois airport, military officials said.

The two U.S. active duty pilots suffered minor injuries in the 7:30 a.m. incident at MidAmerica St. Louis Airport in Mascoutah, Illinois, the U.S. Air Force said in a statement. MidAmerica is located about 25 miles (40 kilometers) east of St. Louis.

Officials at the nearby Scott Air Force Base said both pilots were taken to a hospital, and one has since been released.

Scott Air Force Base officials said in February that Boeing’s new F-15QA, which was designed for the Qatar Emiri Air Force, would operate out of MidAmerica, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

The F-15QA involved in Tuesday's incident "was slated to be transferred to the Qatari Air Force through the Foreign Military Sales program. The incident is currently under investigation,” the U.S. Air Force said in its statement.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in