Friday, March 30, 2001

By Scott Schonauer, Stars and Stripes

Scott Schonauer / Stars and Stripes Airman Terrell Tyson, of 493rd Fighter Squadron, inspects the flight gear of a pilot Thursday at RAF Lakenheath in England. The squadron resumed flying for the first time since two of its F-15C fighters went down in Scotland earlier this week.

RAF LAKENHEATH, England — Proclaiming a need to "get back in the saddle," pilots with the 493rd Fighter Squadron hoped to return to the skies for the first time since two F-15C fighters crashed.

Members of the unit are still shocked that they lost one pilot and most likely another who is missing in a mountainous region of Scotland.

"It’s really hard," said Lt. Col. Tim Reagan, director of operations for the 48th Operations Support Squadron. "You work with these folks so closely. Then, boom and it happens. It’s a real shocker."

Rescue teams fighting blinding snowstorms and freezing temperatures discovered the wreckage of both aircraft and the body of pilot, Lt. Col. Kenneth Hyvonen. There is lingering hope that the missing pilot, Capt. Kirk Jones is alive, but few people believe he could survive the frigid conditions in the Cairgnorm Mountains, which has some of the highest peaks in the United Kingdom.

Investigators are unsure what caused two of the Air Force’s premier air-to-air fighters to mysteriously smash into the rugged terrain. There is speculation that the planes may have collided while performing risky low-level training, but the cause remains a mystery. Pilots described both men as dedicated and exceptional officers who were liked in the wing.

"You try and develop scenarios for what happened," said Lt. Col. Bob Sneath, acting commander of the 493rd Fighter Squadron. "But you don’t know what happened. That is what makes it even more difficult."

Inside the squadron’s main office building, red tape sealed the lockers of both men. It is standard procedure by Air Force crash investigators to secure the personal items of pilots just in case it might help them determine a cause.

For now, the tape is simply another reminder of their colleagues. Pilots and crewmembers went back to work on Thursday and tried to resume training, but close friends acknowledged the tremendous amount of strain on everyone. Four jets planned to leave for a training mission Thursday afternoon, but hydraulic problems delayed the mission.

Maj. Rick Mills was a close friend of Hyvonen. He said pilots need to get back to work because they can’t lose their perishable flying skills. They also want to send a message to the rest of the squadron and other squadrons in the 48th Wing: The mission must continue.

Scott Schonauer / Stars and Stripes Red tape seals the locker of Capt. Kirk Jones  Thursday at Lakenheath. Air Force investigators sealed the locker after discovery of the wreckage of Jones' F-15 in Scotland on Tuesday.

"I think the beginning of the week was pretty rough," Mills said. "Of course, most people said their own, personal good-byes. But we need to get back in the saddle and get back to work. I think we’re kind of looking forward to it to take our minds off of things for a while."

While part of the squadron returned to work, others, along with crisis counselors and chaplains, consoled the families. Spouses of the pilots rushed to help soon after news of the accident spread throughout the base.

Dozens of other military personnel and their families who are not in the squadron and don’t even know the pilots offered to help any way they could. Some people volunteered to brave the icy conditions in Scotland to help in the search.

"They don’t even know the families or the two pilots," said Maj. Joe Boltersdorf, mission support squadron commander. "But they all want to help. People have called me and sent me e-mails saying, ‘Hey, I’ll do what ever you need me to do.’"

The outlying communities have also rallied around the squadron. The base public affairs office has received 30 messages from all over the world expressing their condolences for the pilots and their families.

"Folks hurt for these families," Boltersdorf said.

Meanwhile, the search continued for Jones. The Air Force has officially considered him "whereabouts unknown." More than 200 U.S. and British rescue teams scoured the hillsides looking for more pieces of planes and any trace of Jones.

Police in the mountains are asking visitors to avoid the crash site and have established a cordon. Rescue teams set up signs throughout the area warning people not to enter the crash site. Gen. Gregory Martin, commander of U.S. Air For—ces in Europe, has appointed Brig. Gen. Donald J. Hoffman, 52nd Fighter Wing commander, Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, to lead the accident investigation board. But it could be six months before the results of the investigation are released to the public.

"The investigation is a very painstaking process, and we do not want it hampered by people trying to get access to the site," said Jim Wood, leader of the Grampian Police Mountain Rescue Team.

Back to March's stories
Page Two news roundup
Stories from February, 2001
Stories from January, 2001
Stories from December, 2000
Stories from November, 2000
Stories from October, 2000
Stories from August and September, 2000
Stories from June and July, 2000
Home