US Jet Crashes in Libya

A US F-15E Strike Eagle jet has crash-landed about 25 miles southwest of Benghazi, the apparent victim of mechanical failure rather than Libyan fire. A Marine Corps Osprey search and rescue aircraft retrieved the pilot, while the second crew member, a weapons officer, was recovered by rebel forces and is now in American hands, says a US official. The two were separated because they ejected at high altitudes, notes the AP. Both reportedly sustained minor injuries during the incident, which occurred yesterday at 5:30pm. This is the first coalition crash since the action against Libya began. (More F-15 fighter jet stories.)