US Jet Crashes in Libya

Mechanical malfunction blamed; both crew said to be safe
By Polly Davis Doig,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 22, 2011 6:09 AM CDT
Updated Mar 22, 2011 7:57 AM CDT
US F-15 Jet Crash Lands in Libya; Both Crew Said to Be Safe
A soldier runs as two F-15 jet fighter jet fighters prepare to take off at the NATO airbase in Aviano, Italy, Monday, March 21, 2011.   (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

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.)

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