The Massachusetts Air National Guard on Friday
identified
the pilot who died when his F-15C crashed Wednesday in the mountains of western
Virginia as Lt. Col. Morris “Moose” Fontenot Jr. Col. James Keefe, commander of
the 104th Fighter Wing at Barnes Air National Guard Base, Mass., said he was
announcing Fontenot’s name at the request of the family and “with a sense of
profound sadness. We will continue to keep the Fontenot family in our thoughts
and prayers during this very difficult time.” Fontenot, a 1996 Air Force
Academy graduate, was a full time Air Guardsman with the 104th FW, serving as
wing inspector general and as an F-15 instructor pilot, with more than 2,300
flight hours, the Air Guard said. He is a graduate of the Air Force Weapons
School, has served as a squadron commander at multiple locations, and is a
decorated combat veteran. Fontenot’s F-15 Eagle was on a solo flight to Texas
for an aircraft upgrade. He reported a mechanical problem shortly before radio
communications were lost. Search parties that reached the wreckage determined
that Fontenot did not successfully eject from the jet before the crash. An
investigation into the crash is ongoing.
