F-15s grounded for third time in a month - Air Force News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Air Force Times

F-15s grounded for third time in a month

Less than 24 hours after some F-15 Eagles began flying following a second grounding, the jets were grounded for a third time in a month.

The head of Air Combat Command, Gen. John Corley, made the decision Monday evening after the accident investigation board looking into the Nov. 2 breakup an F-15C over Missouri raised new concerns about the fighters.

This third grounding decision affects 442 F-15A, B, C and D models. The F-15E Strike Eagle, a larger and newer version of the jet designed as a bomber, continues to fly.

The jet that broke up was about 27 years old. Most of the F-15As through Ds flown by the Air Force are more than 25 years old.

How long the F-15s will remain idle is unknown, said ACC spokesman Maj. Thomas Crosson. Even if the latest problems result in a third round of inspections, the jets will not immediately return to the sky after passing the checks, Crosson said. Commanders want a comprehensive overview of the jets’ problems and decided to keep the planes parked until then.

The investigation into the Nov. 2 crash that started the groundings may produce some critical insight into the F-15 fleet’s problems.

Typically, the Air Force expects aviation safety investigations to be completed in one month, but complicated accidents such as the Nov. 2 crash frequently take longer to complete because of engineering and metallurgical studies.

Crosson said a return-to-flight decision is not tied to completion of the accident investigation. There was no word when the accident board’s report will be delivered to the command, Crosson said.

Monday’s grounding decision follows similar orders on Nov. 3 and Nov. 29. After both of those groundings, the planes returned to flight after passing inspections focusing on finding fuselage cracks.