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Review shows pilots were barely above 100 feet

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Air Force jets were flying at a fraction of the minimum altitude required during a military flyover before a University of Iowa football game last month, according to a review of video and Kinnick Stadium dimensions.

The top of the press box, the highest point of the University of Iowa’s stadium, is 137 feet above ground, said Kim McDonald of Neumann Monson Architects in Iowa City, which designed plans for the stadium’s renovation. Videos and witness accounts show the four Talon T-38 Trainer jets appeared to be at or slightly above that level during the flyover before they cleared the south scoreboard, which McDonald said is just 112 feet above the ground.

Under Air Force regulations, the jets generally must have an altitude of at least 1,000 feet above ground when they are flying over populated areas such as the stadium, which was packed with 70,000 fans for the Nov. 20 game between Iowa and Ohio State.

Spectators were amazed by the flyover and how close the jets came to the top of the stadium, and many posted videos of the event on YouTube. Videos show the jets streaking over a Tigerhawk emblem on top of the scoreboard after the national anthem, and fans cheering afterward. The pilots later received loud ovations when they were introduced during the game.

The precise altitude of the jets is unknown and will be determined as part of the ongoing investigation into whether the flyover violated Air Force rules, said 1st Lt. Katie Roling, chief of public affairs for Vance Air Force Base, Okla. The four pilots involved were part of the 25th Flying Training Squadron headquartered at Vance and could be disciplined if the investigation finds violations.

“We’re still investigating all aspects of the flyover,” Roling said.

It’s possible the jets should have been flying even higher than 1,000 feet. That’s because an Air Force rule requires jets to fly at least 1,000 feet above “the highest obstacle within 2,000 feet” of the aircraft. Roling said the investigation was trying to determine what the “highest obstacle” was for the flyover.

A spokesman for the university, which requested the flyover, declined to criticize the pilots.

“The goal of the flyover was to honor all military personnel with a memorable display, and the UI is pleased that goal was clearly accomplished,” Tom Moore said.

Maj. Chris Kopacek, one of the pilots, told The Des Moines Register they had clearance to fly at an altitude of just 500 feet but Roling disputed that account last week. She said that permission, which requires approval from an Air Force official after a waiver by the Federal Aviation Administration, was never granted. In any event, the jets appear to have been far below even that level.

The pilots — Kopacek, 1st Lt. Otto Gerdeman, Maj. Eric Yape and Maj. Kevin Cossey — have not responded to media inquiries seeking comment. Roling said the Air Force planned to make public the results of its investigation but did not have a timetable for doing so.