The Full Story On That Oregon F-15 That Fired Its Missiles Into The Sea Before Landing
The jet's landing gear malfunctioned and it had to refuel with its gear down multiple times as a plan to safely ditch its ordnance came together.
By Joseph TrevithickSeptember 24, 2020
The War Zone
Last year, The War Zone was first to report that an F-15C Eagle from the Oregon Air National Guard's 142nd Fighter Wing had fired its live AIM-120C AMRAAM and AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles into the Pacific Ocean before making an emergency landing at Portland International Airport. At the time, details about the mishap were limited, but now we have obtained a copy of the official Air Force accident report that describes exactly what happened.
The F-15C in question, known by its serial number 78-0473 and going by the callsign "ROCK 42" at the time, was sitting alert at Portland International Airport on Feb. 20, 2019. That day, it and another alert jet were scheduled to conduct a mock scramble and then train with two additional flights of four F-15Cs each.
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/36688/the-full-story-on-that-oregon-f-15-that-fired-its-missiles-into-the-sea-before-landing
