F-15s return to the air

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Torri Ingalsbe
  • 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England --  F-15s were cleared to fly Nov. 13 after a 10-day grounding order sent down from the Air Force Chief of Staff. 

The jets were cleared after undergoing individual inspections of the hydraulic system lines and the environmental control system bay. 

The entire U.S. Air Force F-15 fleet was grounded Nov. 3 due to the crash of a Missouri Air National Guard F-15 Eagle aircraft Nov. 2. F-15s worldwide were grounded to ensure the safety of the aircrews, because of an ongoing investigation into the cause of the crash. 

"The F-15 fleet was grounded because the crash may have been caused by a weakness in the integrity of the structure," said Maj. Darrin Dronoff, 48th Equipment Maintenance Squadron commander. "One thing we're checking for is structural instability." 

During the grounding period, operations at RAF Lakenheath continued toward preparing for the NATO operations evaluation which took place Nov. 12 through Nov.15. 

Upon receiving the release of grounding order, members of the 48th Maintenance Group rallied together to perform inspections on all Liberty Wing F-15 Strike Eagles, clearing six aircraft within the first two days. 

"We've been able to get our aircraft into the air amidst a very demanding NATO operations evaluation," Major Dronoff said. 

The F-15 inspections take approximately 13 hours per jet and as each aircraft is thoroughly inspected and cleared, it will be returned to full operational status. 

"The focus hasn't been specific to squadrons, but a wing effort," Major Dronoff said. "With everyone working together around the clock, we've been able to get 30 more jets into the air within the last two days. It's a combined effort and we'll continue to press until every jet is in compliance and safe to fly."