Double Whammy

4/6/2006 - SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. (AFPN) -- The pilot of the F-16 Fighting Falcon assigned here that crashed April 5 at around 5:40 p.m. was found by the U.S. Coast Guard about two hours later and taken to a nearby U.S. Navy ship for stabilization.

Capt. Ted Shultz, assigned to the 55th Fighter Squadron here, was then transported via Coast Guard helicopter to a hospital in Charleston, S.C., for further treatment, Coast Guard officials said. No details have been provided on his current condition.

The aircraft crashed about 35 miles off the coast of South Carolina. At the time of the accident, Captain Shultz was participating in a training mission.

A board of officers will investigate the accident.

The personal connection: The father of the aircraft's crew chief works with my brother. The crew chief had just been home to attend the funeral of his grandfather. The day after he returned to Shaw, he lost his airplane. Thankfully, the safe recovery of the pilot thwarted a triple whammy for the young airman.