Thankfully, both pilots have been rescued:
A U.S. Air Force F-15E fighter jet crashed in Libya overnight after apparent mechanical failure but its crew were safe, a spokesman for the U.S. military Africa Command said on Tuesday.
Libyan rebels rescued the pilot after he ejected from the warplane which came down near the eastern city of Benghazi, Britain's Daily Telegraph newspaper reported on its website.
U.S. spokesman Vince Crawley declined to give the location of the crash and also would not say how the rescued crewman was picked up or where he was taken.
Another spokesman for the Stuttgart-based Africa Command said later that the second crewman had also been safely rescued, and that both crewmembers had suffered only minor injuries after ejecting from the aircraft.
The crash was likely caused by mechanical failure and not hostile fire, Crawley added.
Bad news ending on a high note. This could've been nightmarish.
Crossposted at Wizbang.
No problem, I’m sure the Arab League or one of the two other coalition partners we have on board (what passes for “full international support” when a Democrat is in the WH) would have risked life, limb and untold fortunes to get our boys out of there.
No truth to the rumor John Kerry has submitted a request for another Purple Heart for the mental anguished HE suffered upon hearing about this.
Pres. Obama will address this incident next week…or by the end of April (or two vacations and 16 rounds of golf later). He’ll first give a “shout out” to Saul Alinsky.
Posted by: tim, aka The Godless Heathen | Tuesday, March 22, 2011 at 12:26 PM
My first reaction was, "Hey, this can't be right. An F-15 Eagle is a single seat fighter." Ah, but a little googling and I learn that the F-15E Strike Eagle is, in fact, a two seat fighter designed for ground attack missions just like what is going on in Libya.
Thank God both crewmen are safe.
Posted by: BroKen | Tuesday, March 22, 2011 at 02:54 PM
The quality of life and security for the citizens has been largely restored and we are a large part of why that has happened.
Posted by: Dominic Caraccilo | Tuesday, August 30, 2011 at 06:50 AM