Mountain Home F-15s returning to flying status

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Rodney D. Ivey
  • 366th Fighter Wing Public Affairs Office
MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho --  F-15C and E models here at Mountain Home are returning to flying status after completion of a Time Compliance Technical Order in accordance with orders from Gen. John Corley, Air Combat Command Commander.

The TCTO takes 13-15 hours to complete and includes an inspection of hydraulic system lines, the fuselage structure, and structural related panels. It also includes a Non-Destructive Inspection of the forward fuselage upper and lower longerons, the metal beams to which the skin of the aircraft is attached.

"This inspection is more in-depth than routine hourly inspections such as a regularly scheduled 200 flying hour inspection," said Lt. Col. Al Porter, 366th Maintenance Group deputy commander. "The NDI allows us to detect structural flaws not visible to the naked eye. The specific technology used is called an Eddy Current Surface Scan, which uses a small AC current that is passed through a probe, creating an eddy current that is disturbed when passed over a crack." 

General Corley ordered all F-15 models grounded after a crash of a Missouri Air National Guard F-15C Nov. 2. The F-15 suspension of flight order was based on suspicion of structural fatigue in the Air Force's remaining 665 F-15s.

"We were able to determine, based on initial reports from an engineering analysis, that the F-15E is not susceptible to the same potential cause of the Missouri mishap," said Col. Frederick Jones, ACC Combat Aircraft Division chief.

The special maintenance inspection is being conducted at each base F-15C and E models are located. The majority of Mountain Home's E-model and C-model F-15s have been cleared to fly as of Nov. 20. A few have minor discrepancies that are being repaired.

"We will be returning them to flight as we correct these small discrepancies," said Colonel Porter. "We have detected no structural damage to any of the longerons in our inspections."