Pilot's incapacitation and subsequent inability to recover from a rapid descent caused the fatal crash of an F-15C Eagle in the Geor...
Pilot's incapacitation and subsequent inability to recover from a rapid descent caused the fatal crash of an F-15C Eagle in the George Washington National Forest near Deerfield, Va., on Aug. 27, 2014, according to an Air Combat Command Accident Investigation Board report released.
Lt. Col. Morris Fontenot, a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard's 104th Fighter Wing at Barnes Air National Guard Base, Mass., was killed in the crash. According to the results of the investigation, the pilot was incapacitated during a rapid descent rendering him unable to recover from the descent or eject from the aircraft.
The investigation board did not find sufficient evidence to conclude the specific reason for the pilot's incapacitation.
At the time of the mishap, Fontenot was performing a cross-country flight from his home station base to Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans, La., so the aircraft could receive a radar upgrade.
No other individuals were injured in the crash. The aircraft, valued at approximately $45.2 million, was destroyed.
