The hits keep coming for Boeing--and the F-15...

Poor Boeing... They're just not having a good year. First, they lose the contract with the Air Force (and one can only wonder if their protest, filed after losing the contract, will make any difference), now a U.S. National Guard pilot is suing them.

According to a March 26th article from the Xinhua News Agency, "Major Stephen Stilwell said he suffered serious injuries when he ejected as the aircraft broke in half over southern Missouri last November." Following Major Stillwell's accident, the Air Force suspended F-15 routine missions (as reported by the Air Force Times).

Apprently, the F-15, which first "entered operational service with the U.S. Air Force in 1974" (according to Boeing), has a long-standing history of crashes. Eagleworld lists several F-15s that have crashed, dating back to 1975. Unfortunately, the Website only lists up to 2001, so it does not list any of the crashes that have taken place since then, including the numerous crashes that have taken place in the past year alone (listed below).

• February 2008 - F-15D (from 154th Wing of the Hawaii Air National Guard) crashes over the Pacific Ocean.
• February 21, 2008 - two F-15Cs (from 33rd Fighter Wing, 58th Fighter Squadron, of Eglin Air Force Base) crash following a mid-air accident off the Florida Panhandle.
• December 2007 - F-15 (from 131st Fighter Wing of the Missouri Air National Guard) crashes in Knox County, Indiana.
• June 2007 - F-15 (from 142nd Fighter Wing of the Oregon Air National Guard) crashes over the Pacific Ocean.
• June 2007 - another F-15 crashes near Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska.
• May 2007 - F-15 crashes outside of Vincennes, in southwestern Indiana.
• June 7, 2006 - F-15K (from South Korea) crashes into the sea off the coast of Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province. (Pilot "blacked out.")
• January 17, 2006 - F-15 (from Kadena Air Base) crashes off coast of Okinawa.
• October 4, 2004 - two F-15s (from Kadena Air Base) collide in mid-air above sea off coast of Okinawa and make an emergency landing. (Mainichi Daily News)
• September 16, 2004 - F-15 (from Saudi Royal Air Force) crashes. (Saudi News Agency SPA)
• April 5, 2004 - F-15 (from Saudi Royal Air Force) crashes. (Saudi News Agency SPA)