Some 72 airmen from Hill AFB, Utah—volunteers all—hiked up a 9,000-foot mountain peak along the Utah-Nevada border to recover pieces of an F-4 fighter that crashed in the Deep Creek Mountains almost 30 years ago. The Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Indian Reservation asked the Air Force to remove the debris during one of the annual consultations between tribes and Hill officials, reports SrA. Clay Murray. An initial recovery team in 1977 removed some larger pieces of the aircraft, but much remained because of the altitude and harsh weather conditions. The debris field stretched over 56 acres, numbering hundreds of pieces.
Lawmakers are growing impatient for an overdue fighter recapitalization study from the Air Force, and members say they'll demand more detailed justifications for future aircraft retirements.