US fighter jet makes emergency landing at Shannon Airport

TWO UNITED STATES Air Force (USAF) fighter jets diverted to Shannon Airport this afternoon after one declared an emergency over the North Atlantic.

It’s understood that one of the McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagles experienced a ‘fuel issue’ and sought to divert to Shannon and requested priority clearance. A second jet accompanied the emergency aircraft en route to Shannon.

Shannon Airport’s Fire and Rescue Service was alerted, and crews were mobilised to holding points adjacent to Shannon’s runway.

The Irish Coast Guard was also alerted and the RNLI lifeboats based at Inis Mór in the Aran Islands and Kilrush, Co Clare on the Shannon Estuary were also placed on standby.

The first of the two jets landed safely at 4.34pm, followed soon afterwards by the second aircraft. Fire crews remained at their holding points and didn’t follow the jets down the runway.

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The two aircraft taxied to a remote parking stand at the airport.

It’s understood that the jets are based at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, a United States Air Force (USAF) base located in Goldsboro, North Carolina in the US.

It’s also believed the jets were travelling as a group that had left a Royal Air Force base in the UK earlier.

The jets departed RAF Mildenhall having arrived there from deployment in the Middle East on September 26th.

A total of 12 F15s were expected to leave the UK en route to the US this afternoon accompanied by three aerial refuelling aircraft.