Washington, DC – Air Force Grounds Most F-15 Fighter Jets

Washington, DC – The Air Force has grounded nearly all its workhouse F-15 fighters after a National Guard jet crashed Friday, apparently from structural failure.

Of the more than 700 F-15 jets, only aircraft flying missions over Iraq and Afghanistan are exempted from the flight suspension, said Air Force spokesman Lt. Col. Ed Thomas.
No date has been set for returning the jets to flight status.

Known as the Eagle, the jets are based at several U.S. locations, including Langley Air Force Base in Hampton, Va., Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in Goldsboro, N.C., Robins Air Force Base in Georgia and Eglin and Tyndall air force bases in the Florida Panhandle. [nbc17]