Major James Duricy of the United States Air Force died on 30 April 2002 when his F-15C Eagle was conducting flight tests of the AIM-9X Sidewinder missile, a large section of the aircraft's tail broke off at Mach 2, and it crashed in the Gulf of Mexico; his body was never found. Counted among the Air Force's finest test pilots, he was remembered as an example of honor, courage, and dedication whose sacrifice would never be forgotten.