Fresno, California (KMPH) — A pilot of the 144th Fighter Wing in Fresno landed their wounded F-15 safely after a rare and what could have been a catastrophic malfunction.
The canopy of the single seat jet blew off while the plane was flying at 21-thousand feet.
A pair of Air National Guard jets performed a flyover at the start of the Clovis Rodeo Saturday just before 2 p.m. after the National Anthem.
At approximately 2:30 p.m. the pilot declared the emergency over military training airspace above the Sierra Nevada mountains.
Instead of ejecting, the pilot flew back to Fresno Airport, landed the plane, and stopped on the runway where emergency personnel went to its aid.
The pilot was evaluated by EMS, it’s not known on his/her condition.
The jet canopy weighs around 500 pounds, so far no reports of it being found.