JERUSALEM – The crew of an Israeli air force F-15 warplane fought freezingtemperatures and buffeting winds to bring their aircraft down after itscockpit canopy flew off at 30,000 feet, the military said on Monday.

In a dramatic cockpit voice recording of the January 2 incident airmen canbe heard shouting to one another over the roaring wind and engine noise, inwhat a military statement said were temperatures of -45 degrees Celsius(-49 Fahrenheit).

“Are you all right,” the navigator asks the pilot, identified in thestatement as “captain Y”.

“Yes I’m fine,” he replies.

“We are without a canopy, proceeding for landing at the nearest base,” thepilot says over the radio in a calm voice.

He then notifies controllers he is heading to Nevatim air base in southernIsrael.

The landing went without further incident, the statement said, adding thatthe air force chief of staff ordered an immediate halt to training flightsin F-15s pending an investigation.

Haaretz newspaper said the air force has had a fleet of US-made F-15s sincethe 1970s and it had been considered the country’s top warplane until itbegan taking delivery of the US F-35 stealth fighter in December 2016. -APP / AFP