Nellis identifies pilot who died in crash

By Mary Manning

Published Thursday, July 31, 2008 | 4:45 p.m.

Updated Thursday, July 31, 2008 | 5:28 p.m.

Air Force officials identified the pilot who died in a crash of a F-15D Eagle in remote Nevada desert Wednesday as Lt. Col. Thomas A. Bouley, who was commander of the 65th Aggressor Squadron at Nellis Air Force Base.

Bouley was piloting the fighter jet when it crashed about 50 miles east of Goldfield on the Nevada Test and Training Range at about 11:30 a.m., the Air Force said.

Bouley had recently celebrated his 20th year in the Air Force and had more than 4,200 flight hours in the F-15 Eagle, the Royal Air Force F-3 Tornado and the T-38 Talon, said Col. Russell Handy, 57th Wing commander during a news conference.

"He was a decorated warrior, an inspiring leader of airmen and a loving father and husband," Handy said. "He served his country with distinction and will be greatly missed."

A United Kingdom Royal Air Force pilot was with him and is at Mike O'Callaghan Federal Hospital at Nellis. The pilot arrived about 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, the Air Force said. The pilot was in stable condition and under observation.

The Royal Air Force pilot's name is being withheld while the investigation into the crash continues.

The investigation began almost immediately, Handy said. An Air Combat Command Accident Investigation Board has convened to examine what happened. The board has a president who is a senior pilot, a maintenance expert, flight surgeon, judge advocate and other specialists.

All aircraft units, with the exception of the 64th and 65th Aggressor Squadrons, have continued flying, Handy said. The 64th Aggressor Squadron will resume flying Friday and the 65th will resume Aug. 4.

"Right now, we're focused on supporting Colonel Bouley's family and the men and women of the 65th AGRS," Handy said.

The F-15D two-seater, assigned to the 65th Aggressor Squadron at Nellis, was participating in a combat training mission as part of the third Red Flag exercise this year, military officials said.

The 65th Aggressor Squadron was launched in 1972 as a response to the poor aerial combat performance of Air Force crews in Vietnam. The Aggressor plane that crashed acts as an enemy aircraft in training sessions.