MOBILE, Ala.) Feb. 20 -- The Air Force says the pilots of two F-15 C Eagles which crashed in a mid-air collision over the Gulf of Mexico have been found alive. The collision occurred just before 2 PM Mobile time Wednesday, about 50 miles south of Tyndall Air Force Base. Details of the rescue or the condition of the pilots have not yet been released.

The planes, on a training flight at the time of the incident, were part of the 33rd Fighter Wing, a combat-flying unit based at Eglin Air Force Base, in the northwest Florida Panhandle.

According to U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer James Harless, more than 60 Coast Guard personnel were involved in the search using multiple helicopters, cutters and jets. Crews from the 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field assisted with the search and rescue efforts, diverting an AC-130H Gunship and CV-22 Osprey from local training sorties to the site.

The Air Force says there will be a board of officers to investigate the collision.

In January a top Air Force general said a manufacturing defect blamed for causing a mid-air breakup of an F-15 Eagle fighter, which occurred last November, might lead the Air Force to permanently ground up to a quarter of those warplanes.

This isn't the first time there has been such an incident involving fighter jets based at Eglin. On January 28, 1999, two other military fighter jets collided and crashed into the Gulf of Mexico. In that incident, both pilots ejected and apparently suffered no major injuries. Those planes were also F-15 Eagle fighters, but were from the 53rd Wing, which was testing operational weapons and electronic warfare equipment. As was the case Wednesday afternoon, the jets were on a training mission when they collided, the Air Force said in a news release.

http://www.nbc15online.com/news/custom/breaking%20news/story.aspx?content_id=ad9d47f8-f5be-4836-a0d3-fcd436419921