2 US Military Pilots Eject from a Qatari F-15 at Illinois Airport

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Boeing's F-15QA, designed for the Qatar Emiri Air Force.
Boeing's F-15QA, designed for the Qatar Emiri Air Force, operating out of MidAmerica Airport, Feb. 23, 2021. (U.S. Air Force/Scott Air Force Base Twitter)

Two U.S. pilots ejected from an F-15QA fighter at MidAmerica St. Louis Airport in Illinois, according to the U.S. Air Force. The fighter was landing at the time of the ejection.

The incident occurred at 7:30 a.m. local time, local media reported. Both pilots sustained minor injuries, the service said. One was taken to a hospital for evaluation, according to Fox2Now.

Photos from local media show the F-15 on the ground with a missing canopy.

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The aircraft, a new model produced by Boeing Co. for the Qatari Air Force, is currently assigned to the U.S. Air Force. The pilots -- one Air Force, one Navy -- are assigned to the Defense Contract Management Agency, which works with contractors to ensure equipment delivery, according to a source with knowledge of the incident.

The Air Force accepted the aircraft this week prior to its foreign military sale, a service spokesperson said.

The incident is under investigation.

The U.S. Air Force's own new F-15EX Eagle II variant is based on the two-seat F-15QA. The service took delivery of its first two F-15EX aircraft earlier this year.

Boeing operates out of St. Louis' Lambert Field but conducts some training at MidAmerica. In February, formal training began with the F-15QA with support from Scott Air Force Base, which is located adjacent to MidAmerica's facilities.

-- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @oriana0214.

Related: The Air Force's Brand-New F-15EX Fighter Is About to Appear in its First Major Exercise

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