| Serial | 665/C171 | |||||||||||||||
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| Model | F-15C-27-MC Eagle | |||||||||||||||
| Status | Crashed | |||||||||||||||
| Comments | crashed 30.04.02 in the Gulf of Mexico approximately 60 miles south of Panama City, Florida, as part of the 46th Test Wing, based at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, killing test pilot Major James A. Duricy, assigned to the 40th Test Squadron, 46th Test Wing. The aircraft was carrying an inert, updated version of the heat-seeking AIM-9X "Sidewinder" anti-aircraft missile. The mission was to check how the AIM-9X missile handled the flight. An Accident Investigation Board determined that the crash was caused by the structural failure of the honeycomb material supporting the leading edge of the port vertical stabilizer during a high-speed test dive. A section of the leading edge, approximately 6 x 3 feet, broke away The pilot was wearing a Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS) that tracked his head motions and allowed him to cue the AIM-9X missile. The JHMCS head-motion telemetry was downloaded real time along with the aircraft flight telemetry since it was a test aircraft. This head-motion data was critical in determining what the pilot was looking at in the cockpit as well as formulating his ultimate fate. The investigation board was able to determine from the last two data points how far and fast his head moved during the mishap. Using established neck injury criteria, the board was able to speculate on what likely happened to the pilot whose body was never located. This landmark use of head-tracker technology was likely the first time it was used in aviation forensic investigation. | |||||||||||||||
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