Twelve Hawai'i Air National Guard F-15 fighters have been cleared to fly again following the crash last Friday of one of the $28 million jets, officials said. The remaining seven planes are awaiting clearance.

Pilots yesterday resumed flying on training missions, a week after an F-15D piloted by Lt. Col. Christopher "Frenchy" Faurot crashed in the ocean about 60 miles south of O'ahu.

Faurot, 41, had reported losing altitude and control before ejecting safely, officials said. The twin-tail fighter sank in more than 2,000 feet of water.

The Damien Memorial High School graduate, who lives in Lanikai, had been taken off flying status to assist with an Air Force investigation, officials said.

Air Guard F-15 pilots will work on regaining advanced air-to-air qualifications to be fully mission capable, which could take about three months. The pilots fly a couple of times a week.

Model A through D F-15s worldwide, including Hawai'i's 20 A, B, C and D versions, were grounded three times between early November and December after a Missouri Air National Guard F-15C broke apart on Nov. 2.

Following last week's crash, there was a safety stand-down for the Hawai'i jets, amounting to a fourth grounding.

The Air Guard 199th Fighter Squadron's seven other F-15 Eagles remain grounded and await clearance from Air Combat Command.

The 199th Squadron, which has 27 pilots who fly the F-15, is scheduled to transition to the stealthy F-22A Raptor starting in 2011.

Reach William Cole at wcole@honoluluadvertiser.com.