An American fighter jet crashed over North African country, both crew ejecting safely.
The U.S. Africa Command said both crewmembers were safe after what was believed to be a mechanical failure of the Air Force F-15.
Accidents happen. But remember that these planes are getting long in the tooth.
UPDATE: Oh, and while I am certainly enjoying the squirming of the adminsitration and the president's supporters over this war (because I have not forgotten the moral outrage of Iraq War opponents), I never forget that our forces are in combat and I want them to succeed in their mission and come home safe. Whatever else, I want to win. I think I've been clear on this. And I don't care if President Obama gets credit when it is over.
UPDATE: This December news says it was pilot error:
The U.S. Air Force has released the investigation report on the loss of an F-15E fighter bomber over Libya last March. At first, the loss was attributed to mechanical failure. But a more exhaustive investigation found that the main cause was pilot error (misunderstanding of flight characteristics under certain load conditions).
That's a relief. It will be a while before F-35s start showing up in our inventory.
