8 hours ago
1
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A retired U.S. Air Force colonel says he's grateful a aviator is live aft Saturday's in-flight exigency for a Fresno-based combatant jet.
The F15 mislaid its canopy determination implicit the Sierra Nevada mountains aft it took portion successful a flyover astatine the Clovis Rodeo.
The aviator was capable to onshore safely astatine Fresno Yosemite International Airport without it, which is located close adjacent to the California National Guard's 144th Fighter Wing, from which the combatant pitchy was based.
Canopies, the protective covers that shield pilots arsenic they're successful the air, are captious to their safety.
RELATED: 144th Fighter Wing pitchy has canopy malfunction pursuing Clovis Rodeo flyover, aviator lands safely
The malfunction is thing retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Rob Swertfager says is some highly uncommon and incredibly dangerous.
"This would beryllium similar driving a sports car, convertible, astatine 300 to 500 miles an hour," said Swertfager.
The colonel served with the 144th earlier his status successful 2023, and Action News was determination for his last landing astatine the Air Guard basal successful Fresno.
His vocation ranged from protecting the California seashore connected 9/11 to grooming and flying with Ukrainian combatant pilots.
In an interrogation with Action News' Kerry Mannix connected Sunday, Swertfager explained that erstwhile pilots are exposed without a canopy astatine excessively debased an altitude, it tin beryllium severely disorienting.
"Your clip to past erstwhile you are debased level is seconds," helium said.
He went connected to explicate that flying without the protective canopy astatine precocious altitudes is equally, if not more, perilous.
F15Cs tin alert up to 50-thousand feet. If a aviator is anyplace supra 30-thousand, Swertfager says they tin rapidly suffer consciousness.
"A quality can't respire oregon past up determination without beingness enactment systems," helium said.
There are galore different ways Saturday's malfunction could person been worse but the lone casualty was the canopy.
The Fresno Fire Department said aft the aviator made an exigency landing astatine Fresno Yosemite International Airport, helium was evaluated by EMS, and nary injuries were reported.
Fire officials turned the probe implicit to the military.
Action News reached retired to a spokesperson for the 144th Fighter Wing for remark and asked whether there's immoderate connection connected whether the canopy has been located.
Spokesperson Jason Sanchez responded successful a statement, which reads:
"There's an ongoing investigation, and protecting the integrity of that probe is critical. Because of this, the argumentation doesn't let america to sermon this substance successful detail. We proceed to beryllium grateful that determination are nary reported injuries."
Swertfager says helium joins them successful gratitude for that harmless landing and for the diligent grooming of the 144th's pilots.
"The information that helium was capable to get that multi-million-dollar craft backmost connected the crushed safely successful our metropolis is props - props to him and the organization," said Swertfager.
There's nary connection yet connected what whitethorn person caused the canopy to detach connected Saturday.
Copyright © 2026 KFSN-TV. All Rights Reserved.
