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Animation Shows F-15 Destruction.

An Air Force Animation shows how an F-15 fighter broke apart mid flight last november.

The incident may lead to the permanent grounding of the aircraft.
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WASHINGTON -- About 20 minutes after takeoff from an airfield near St. Louis, the forward fuselage of Maj. Stephen Stilwell's F-15C Eagle shook violently and then broke apart 18,000 feet abov More..e the ground.

Stilwell, his left shoulder dislocated and his left arm shattered, barely had time to eject as pieces of his aircraft tumbled from the sky over the Missouri countryside.

In a report released Thursday, Air Force investigators conclude a defective metal beam in the frame of the F-15 cracked, causing Stilwell's $42 million jet fighter to disintegrate during the Nov. 2 training flight.

More troubling, however, are the results of a parallel examination finding as many as 163 of the workhorse aircraft also have flawed support beams, called longerons. The aircraft remain grounded as the Air Force continues to determine how serious the problem is and whether extensive, costly repairs are needed. Another 19 of the aircraft have yet to be inspected and also remain grounded.

Nearly 260 of the A through D model F-15s, first fielded in the mid-1970s, were returned to flight status Tuesday following fleet-wide inspections.

The twin-engine aircraft are used primarily for homeland security and are a key link in the nation's air defense network. Less..

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