Summary and Key Points: An F-15C pilot from California’s 144th Fighter Wing lost his cockpit canopy in mid-flight last weekend after a Clovis Rodeo flyover.
-He safely landed at Fresno Yosemite International Airport with no injuries reported. Retired Air Force Colonel Rob Swertfager likened the experience to ‘driving a sports car convertible at 300 to 500 miles an hour,’ with only seconds to survive at low altitude.
-It marked the third F-15 emergency near Fresno in under two years.
-Below we present a photo essay of a real F-15C we were able to get close to last year outside of Washington, DC, at the Smithsonian.
F-15C Fighter Coming in From Last Flight. Image Credit: National Security Journal.
F-15C Fighter on the Tarmac. Image Credit: National Security Journal. Taken on August 13, 2025.
F-15C Fighter with Flight Crew. Image Credit: National Security Journal.
F-15C Pilot National Security Journal Photo. Image Credit: Brent M. Eastwood/National Security Journal.
Rain on F-15C Fighter at Smithsonian National Security Journal Photo.
F-15C Fighter at Smithsonian August 13 2025. Image Credit: National Security Journal.
F-15C in the Rain at Smithsonian Outside DC. Image Credit: Brent Eastwood/National Security Journal.
F-15C Fighter at Smithsonian National Security Journal Photo
An F-15C Accident Could Have Been A Tragedy
Many heroic, unlikely jet landings have occurred in war zones. Last month, one happened in California, during a flyover at a rodeo.
According to several local news reports, it happened last month near Fresno, Calif., involving an F-15C fighter assigned to the 144th Fighter Wing. The pilot was safe and unharmed after making an emergency landing at Fresno Yosemite International Airport.
The fighter was one of two who had just conducted a flyover of the Clovis Rodeo. A video of the flyover was scored to the Top Gun song “Danger Zone,” though it did not capture the mishap later in the video. The emergency was declared at about 2:30 p.m., about a half hour after the rodeo flyover. Local TV stations KSEE and KGPE reported that “as the emergency call progressed, first responders learned that an F-15 jet was circling in the air to burn off fuel, as per protocol, after the cockpit’s canopy had been lost during the pilot’s flight back to the base.”
Fire crews, who have a mutual aid agreement with the Air National Guard, arrived within two minutes and assisted.
“The jet has since been towed from the runway, and the military has taken over the investigation,” the report added.
Fox 26, which reported on the incident, received a comment from the 144th Fighter Wing.
“We are aware of an incident involving one of our aircraft flying in Military training airspace above the Sierra Nevada mountains, during which the aircraft experienced a canopy malfunction. The pilot safely recovered the aircraft and landed without incident. There were no injuries reported,” the Fighter Wing said in a statement.
“There’s an ongoing investigation, and protecting the integrity of that investigation is critical. Because of this, the policy prevents us from discussing the matter in detail. We continue to be grateful that there are no reported injuries.”
A Colonel Speaks On F-15C
Another local news story about the incident, by ABC 7 in the Fresno area, quoted retired Air Force colonel Rob Swertfager, who also served in the 144th, and said he’s glad the pilot survived such a rare incident.
“This would be like driving a sports car, convertible, at 300 to 500 miles an hour,” the colonel said of the mid-flight loss of the canopy. “Your time to survive when you are low level is seconds,” he added.
Had he been flying higher, however, the conditions would have been even more dangerous.
“A human can’t breathe or survive up there without life support systems,” he said. “The fact that he was able to get that multi-million-dollar aircraft back on the ground safely in our city is props – props to him and the organization,” Swertfager told the TV station.
The name of the pilot has not been released.
An Incident Last Year with Another F-15
In August of 2024, there was another incident in the same vicinity when, per AOPA, an air traffic controller “guided two U.S. Air Force pilots to a safe landing after an in-flight refueling incident that left them with minimum fuel, and a hydraulic failure.”
It happened on August 21, 2024, when the F-15 that was “providing air support for the U.S. president and carrying live missiles was involved in an in-flight refueling accident, leading to a minimum fuel situation.
“The aircraft attempted to land on Fresno’s Runway 29R but appeared to rip the cable out of the system,” that account said. “The pilots requested a visual airborne inspection of the aircraft’s landing gear, and the controller requested an F–18 from nearby Naval Air Station Lemoore to assist. The landing gear appeared intact, and since the winds were calm, the tower controller suggested the jet land on Runway 11L, as it was also equipped with an arresting cable.”
Another attempt, right afterward, also failed. But what air traffic controller Joseph Seimas did next got KSEE/KGPE him honored.
“[Seimas’s] quick thinking, professionalism, and outstanding coordination directly contributed to the successful recovery of an F-15E, valued at $72 million,” the documents in his nomination said.
“His ability to provide critical, real-time information … while airborne, as well as his coordinated efforts to clear a path for a safe landing, directly contributed to the preservation of a live ordnance-loaded aircraft and 2 USAF aircrew. His leadership in managing this complex situation prevented a potential disaster and deserves the highest recognition.”
The 2025 Incident
Then, in November of 2025, there was another air emergency, also near Fresno.
As reported by KSEE/KGPE and their website YourCentralValley.com, “An F-15C fighter aircraft assigned to the 144th Fighter Wing in Fresno declared an in-flight emergency in the skies above Fresno.”
There was a landing gear issue, the report said, leading the F-15 to land safely at base.
“The 144th Fighter Wing added that, in situations like this, it is normal for a second aircraft to provide mutual support to the emergency aircraft,” that report said. “Before the aircraft returns to routine flight, maintenance at the Air National Guard base will fix the issue and ensure that the plane is safe to return to service.”
The Fighter Wing said at the time that the aircraft was “taking part in overland training during a surge exercise, an exercise that sees aircraft rapidly refuel and relaunch in order to determine their capabilities.”
Also in November of 2025, a passenger jet made an emergency landing in Fresno after it was meant to fly from Salt Lake City to Oakland.
“We apologize for the inconvenience and are working to ensure all passengers reach their destination safely and as quickly as possible,” SkyWest Airlines said at the time.
About the Author: Stephen Silver
Stephen Silver is an award-winning journalist, essayist, and film critic, and contributor to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Broad Street Review, and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. For over a decade, Stephen has authored thousands of articles that focus on politics, national security, technology, and the economy. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @StephenSilver, and subscribe to his Substack newsletter.
