UPDATED at 11:25 a.m. Tuesday with information from Scott Air Force Base.
MASCOUTAH, Ill. — Two pilots ejected from an F-15 fighter aircraft Tuesday when the plane left a runway at MidAmerica St. Louis Airport in Mascoutah, Illinois.
The F-15 has been used in training exercises at MidAmerica since February. The pilots suffered minor injuries and were hospitalized, according to a statement released by Scott Air Force Base.
An airport spokeswoman declined to comment.
The base said the two active-duty pilots ejected safely after "experiencing an emergency" on the runway about 7:30 a.m. Tuesday. The base spokesman didn't elaborate on the emergency. The plane left the runway after landing at the airport.
"The aircraft was slated to be transferred to the Qatari Air Force through the Foreign Military Sales Program," the base said in the statement. "The incident is currently under investigation.”
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The base said in February that Boeing's new F-15QA plane, designed for the Qatar Emiri Air Force, would be operating out of MidAmerica Airport.
"Formal training and instruction will be given to the pilots of this new aircraft over the next several months," the base said on Twitter in February.
MidAmerica is located about 25 miles east of St. Louis.
Who's that new guy in our airspace? It's Boeing's new F-15QA designed for the Qatar Emiri Air Force. Operating out of MidAmerica Airport, formal training and instruction will be given to the pilots of this new aircraft over the next several months--supported by Scott's OSS team! pic.twitter.com/pks31DGOqo
— Scott Air Force Base (@ScottAFB) February 23, 2021