Two F-15 pilots ejected on the runway at MidAmerica St Louis airport in Mascoutah, Illinois on Tuesday.
It is not clear if their ejection seats malfunctioned or if the pilots punched out. The plane was on the ground when the incident took place and it came to rest off the runway on the grass.
The two U.S. active duty pilots suffered minor injuries and were hospitalized. Local reports claim the jet ran into trouble after landing at MidAmerica.
The aircraft is an F-15QA, one of 36 that are being built for the Qatar Emiri Air Force by Boeing under a $6.2 billion contract.
It ‘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.
The F-15QA has more wing hard points so that it can carry an increased weapons payload, advanced radar, a helmet that projects information on to the pilot’s visor and more powerful engines.
It is unclear what the unit cost of an F-15QA is, hoverer the cost of the almost identical F-15EX has been placed at $87.7million by Air Force Magazine.