MadDog
02-04-2008, 08:39 PM
HONOLULU -- A Hawaii Air National Guard fighter jet crashed about 60 miles south of Oahu on Friday afternoon, officials.The pilot ejected from the cockpit of his F-15D at 1:37 p.m., according to a Hawaii Air National Guard representative.The jet was losing altitude and the pilot was losing control when he ejected, guard officials said.The U.S. Coast Guard received a call at 1:55 p.m. A helicopter team from the U.S. Coast Guard rescued the pilot from sea near the Maui Triangle at 2:15 p.m.A second F-15 flying along with the plane that crashed, circled and helped rescue teams find the pilot. The Coast Guard sent three helicopters to the scene during the search.Coast Guard divers recovered the pilot from a life raft., officials said.At 3 p.m., paramedics in Honolulu took the pilot to Queen's Medical Center. He was in good condition with no serious injuries, officials said.The Coast Guard kept two choppers at the scene and dispatched two vessels to the scene to recover wreckage.The F-15D was part of the 199th Fighter Squadron, 154th Wing of the Hawaii Air National Guard.Military leaders grounded the nation's fleet of F-15s after a jet broke apart during flight over Missouri on Nov. 2.After completing fleet inspections, Air Force leaders approved more than half of the jets to return to duty at the beginning of January.Stay with KITV.com and KITV 4 News at 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. for more on this developing story.
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