F-15E Crash today

F-15 Crashes In Rural Virginia
Pilots Parachute To Safety

POSTED: 7:14 pm EDT May 6, 2004
UPDATED: 10:03 pm EDT May 6, 2004

CALLAWAY, Va. -- An F-15E fighter jet on a training flight crashed Thursday
afternoon several miles west of Rocky Mount, military and Franklin County
authorities said. Two aviators aboard were not injured.

The pilot, Capt Darren P. Wees, and Capt. Daniel C. Spier, a weapons systems
officer, both parachuted to safety. Capt. Robert Strickler of the Franklin
County Sheriff's Office said the pilots were taken to a hospital for
observation as a precaution.

The jet was assigned to the 4th Fighter Wing based at Seymour Johnson Air
Force Base near Goldsboro, N.C., about 50 miles southeast of Raleigh. It was
one of two planes performing a low-level training mission, according to a
statement from the base public affairs office.

Base spokesman 2nd Lt. Jamie Humphries said Seymour Johnson officials were
still gathering information about what happened. Personnel from the 4th
Fighter Wing responded to the accident scene.

The F-15 crashed in a rural part of Franklin County near the intersection of
two country roads at about 5:10 p.m.

Whitey Taylor, 53, said he was just arriving at the Franklin County Speedway
to watch the stock cars practice when the planes flew over.

"I looked up at it and, `Shew!' A shiny piece of metal flew off. It looked
like the wing. And he just flew straight up and I saw this big huge fire
come off the top of the jet," Taylor said.

The plane jackknifed straight down and slammed into the ground about a
quarter of a mile from the speedway, which Taylor owns. Taylor drove over
and helped pull the pilots out of the trees.

Police reported no major property damage. Crews worked to contain the fire
from the crash Wednesday evening.

The public was restricted from entering the area and was asked not to pick
up parts of the aircraft due to safety hazards that may have resulted from
the accident.