An F-15D Eagle from the 48th Fighter Wing crashed Wednesday afternoon north of its base at RAF Lakenheath, England, during a combat training mission, the Air Force announced. The pilot ejected from the aircraft and was safely on the ground, according to the release. The early report did not indicate whether the pilot incurred any injuries in the incident nor did it provide any information on a possible cause for the accident. The crash comes on the heels of the Aug. 27 crash of a Massachusetts Air National Guard F-15C into the western Virginia mountains. Air National Guard pilot Lt. Col. Morris “Moose” Fontenot was killed in the crash. Both accidents are under investigation.
An Air Force C-17 transport jet recently tested a new technology that could help aviators stay on course even if the satellite-based Global Positioning System (GPS) that much of modern-day aviation relies on is compromised.