An accident investigation board has determined that spatial disorientation led to the death of Maj. Gregory Young in the F-15A crash off the coast of Arch Cape, Ore., on June 27. According to an Air Combat Command statement, Young, an Air National Guard pilot with the 142nd Fighter Wing at Portland Airport in Oregon, was flying a dissimilar air combat training mission with F/A-18s from NAS Fort Worth, Tex., when he became disoriented and misinterpreted his position in flight.
The Air Force ramped up operations and maintenance spending to keep its F-35A fighters flying over the past six years, but readiness continues to lag behind goals, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office.