This page is in Honor and Memory of Capt. Darrell L. Kenney Jr
Capt. Darrell L. Kenney Jr was an F-15 Eagle Driver stationed with the 21st Tactical Fighter Wing at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska. On Jan 16th 1990 he was flying F-15D 80-0059 on a FCF check flight.
FCF stands for (maintenance) functional check flight. FCF’s are done completely clean with even the pylons off and follow a very specific profile. It’s also a very busy mission from the time you start. On this particular mission the low altitude weather was poor and everything looked gray and white with clouds blending perfectly into the snow-covered ground. Mount Susitna was covered in soft snow, like smooth rolling hills (unlike the mountains further west with steep granite peaks that snow could not adhere to). And it sits all by itself in the middle of a very flat area, like a big pimple.
Capt. Darrell L. Kenney Jrt was was slowing and descending from his mach run, in the weather, and misheard a call from the FAA controller and thought he was cleared to an altitude that was below the top of Mount Susitna. When he crashed into big Mount Susitana aproximately 30 miles SW of Anchorage, Alaska and was tragically killed.
This memorial page is far from complete, if you have any biography information please contact me at janpeter@skytrailer.nl