F-15 pilot killed in Augusta County, Virginia, crash

By Lynn R. Mitchell

The C-130 that was flying in a grid pattern overhead all afternoon could no longer be heard by 6:00 p.m. and helicopters that had flown back and forth since noon were gone.  At 9:20 p.m. WHSV TV-3 reported the pilot was found dead but no further information was available (see F-15C plane pilot found dead). That is sad news for all the searchers and for the pilot’s family as well as the Massachusetts Air National Guard.

Search for pilot moves closer to Staunton

By Lynn R. Mitchell

From the Staunton News Leader:

“UPDATE 11:54 A.M.: Searchers are concentrating on the southeast area of Crawford Mountain, which is part of the Great North Mountain Trail, which is a line including Elliot Knob.”

This area is practically my front yard so we’ve had helicopters and airplanes flying overhead all day. The crash site is further west near Deerfield but this current search area for the pilot is located about four or five miles west of Staunton at Buffalo Gap.

Weather conditions today are sunny, hot with temp in upper 80s, barely a breeze, and white puffy clouds dotting the dark blue sky. It’s a typical hot late August day.

Military fighter jet crashes in western Augusta County mountains – UPDATED

By Lynn R. Mitchell

A military F-15 fighter jet crashed early Wednesday in the western part of Augusta County in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.

A lawyer friend, Sabrina Chester in Churchville about eight miles west of my house, first posted on Facebook Wednesday morning around 9:00:

Does anyone know what the huge explosion was just a bit ago?? Shook my entire house & spooked all the animals…smoke from Deerfield side of the mountain….possible airplane crash???

At my house, we had not heard the boom but were hearing helicopters overhead. Still not sure if they were heading toward that crash area, or whether they were military, or the Pegasus helicopter  with University of Virginia Hospital out of Charlottesville.

A search and rescue mission is underway but word has trickled out the pilot ejected before the crash. There is still no confirmation of that or if he has been found.