An F-15 Fighter Jet Has Reportedly Crashed In Virginia [UPDATE]

By  Michael Ballaban

An F-15C fighter jet flying near the Washington, DC-area has reportedly crashed near the town of Deerfield, Virginia, according to the local News-Leader. UPDATE

No reports have yet indicated the status of the pilot, however a call from an emergency dispatcher said that they "haven't located anybody":

"I'm on location, with smoke, and we do have debris," said a breathless responder on emergency radio frequencies at 10:04 a.m. "I got debris everywhere... I haven't located anybody."

Virginia State Police confirmed that they were notified at 9:06 a.m. of a plane crash. The crash site appears to be near the side of the mountain.

Numerous photos from witness on Twitter indicate a fire where the jet impacted the ground:

The F-15C, which seats one, took off from Massachusetts, according to a reporter from the local NBC affiliate. The Massachusetts Air National Guard operates F-15s out of Barnes Air National Guard Base:

F-15s, which use the ACES II ejection seat, have crashed in 12 incidents in the past ten years.

UPDATE 11:45 AM: The pilot, a member of the 104th Fighter Wing of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, was flying a cross-country mission over the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia, according to a spokesperson from the Fighter Wing. The pilot reported an in-flight emergency before radio contact was lost at 9:05 this morning.

The plane was en route to receive a systems upgrade, and wasn't carrying any weapons.

The status of the pilot is still unconfirmed.

Photo credit: United States Air Force

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