AN AIRCRAFT Accident Investigation Board report has been released into the fatal crash of a UK-based US Air Force F-15C Eagle from the 48th Fighter Wing (FW) at RAF Lakenheath, Suffolk, into the North Sea on June 15, 2020 (see Attrition, August 2020, p89). The report was released on November 23, 2020. The aircraft, serial number 86-0176 'LN' from the 48th FW's 493rd Fighter Squadron (493rd FS) 'Grim Reapers,' crashed into the sea at 0827hrs Zulu (0927hrs local time) on June 15, 2020, at 054°21.7′N, 001°40.5′E, 124nm northeast of RAF Lakenheath, during a local combat training flight. The mishap aircraft (MA) was completely destroyed and the mishap pilot (MP), Lt Kenneth 'Kage' Allen, who was assistant chief of weapons and tactics with the 493rd FS, was fatally injured. The mishap sortie (MS) was scheduled as a four-ship flight lead upgrade (4FLUG) certification sortie for the mishap formation lead (MFL). The weather in the airspace was reported to have multiple cloud layers up to 25,000ft, and thus the MS was conducted using Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC) rules during the engagements, if IMC would be encountered. The MP was flying in the number four position of four 'Blue Air' aircraft - three F-15Cs and one F-15D - flying against six exercise adversary 'Red Air' F-15Cs in a Defensive Counter Air training mission over the North Sea.
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