2 pilots eject from F-15 when it leaves runway in Illinois

Military officials say two pilots ejected safely from an F-15 fighter jet when the aircraft left a runway while landing at a southwestern Illinois airport

Military Jet Pilots Eject

Two pilots ejected safely from an F-15 fighter jet Tuesday morning when the aircraft left a runway while landing at a southwestern Illinois airport, military officials said.

The two U.S. active duty pilots suffered minor injuries in the 7:30 a.m. incident at MidAmerica St. Louis Airport in Mascoutah, Illinois, the U.S. Air Force said in a statement. MidAmerica is located about 25 miles (40 kilometers) east of St. Louis.

Officials at the nearby Scott Air Force Base said both pilots were taken to a hospital, and one has since been released.

Scott Air Force Base officials said in February that Boeing’s new F-15QA, which was designed for the Qatar Emiri Air Force, would operate out of MidAmerica, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

The F-15QA involved in Tuesday's incident "was slated to be transferred to the Qatari Air Force through the Foreign Military Sales program. The incident is currently under investigation,” the U.S. Air Force said in its statement.