On 30 July 2008 this Eagle departed a controlled flight and entered into a spin while executing a planned maneuver during exercise Red Flag 08-3. The then US$ 38 million F-15D impacted the ground some 20 miles northwest of Rachel (NV) in an uninhabited area on the Nevada Test and Training Range. Both aircrew ejected; the back seat observer pilot sustained minor injuries and was rescued, the front seat pilot hit the ground before his parachute fully deployed and died. Most probably, the cause was the pilot exceeded the allowable angle of attack at low level and faced spatial disorientation.