Lt. Col. Morris "Moose" Fontenot Jr. dies in airforce jet crash in western Virginia.

Modified Date:

Wed, 09/03/2014 - 10:44am

Accident Date:

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Military jet crashes in Virginia, officials say

No injuries were reported on the ground as authorities located the crash site through heavy smoke on a mountainside. The pilot of the single-seat F-15C was with the 104th Fighter Wing of the Massachusetts Air National Guard in Westfield, Maj. Matthew Mutti said.

Military: Jet in Virginia crash based in Mass.

Augusta County dispatcher Becky Coynter says witnesses reported an explosion-like noise just before 9 a.m. She says military officials in Washington reporting losing communication with a jet.

Mass. Air National Guard Jet Crashes

The August County, Virginia, Sheriff's Office said the plane crashed near Deerfield Valley Road in George Washington National Park. The pilot was the only person on board.

U.S. Air Force F-15C: Facts sheet on type of aircraft based in Westfield that crashed in Virginia

The F-15C, the type of U.S. Air Force jet that crashed Wednesday in Virginia on a flight originating from the Massachusetts Air National Guard 104th Fighter Wing at Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport in Westfield, has been flying since 1979.

Fighter jet bound for New Orleans crashes in Virginia

The jet was en route to New Orleans, according to the Pentagon. The crash site appeared to be near the side of a mountain. The F-15 went down Wednesday morning in the forest near Deerfield, Virginia. Garrett Beck, 20, took a photo of the crash after it happened near a farm.

Pilot killed in western Virginia F-15 crash identified, was decorated combat veteran

The pilot killed in the crash of an F-15 jet this week in the remote Virginia mountains was a decorated combat veteran with 17 years of experience flying the planes, military officials said Friday.

Pilot identified in F-15 crash in Virginia

Col. James Keefe, the fighter wing's commander, said the death was announced "with a sense of profound sadness."

Westfield mournes the loss of Lt. Col. Fontenot Jr.

Pilot's family hopes he will be remembered for his commitment to service.

Memorial Service for Fallen F-15 Pilot Set for Sunday

Officials with the 104th Fighter Wing have announced plans for a memorial service to honor Lt. Col. Morris Fontenot, Jr.

Lt. Col. Morris "Moose" Fontenot Jr. joined the Massachusetts Air National Guard in February and had been serving with the 104th Fighter Wing as the inspector general and an F-15 instructor pilot. Fontenot was flying the single-seat plane to New Orleans, Louisiana for a radar system upgrade when he crashed in western Virginia. He reported an in-flight emergency before losing radio contact. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

Type: Aircraft Accident

City:

Deerfield, VA

County:

Augusta County, VA

Area:

Harrisonburg, VA