An airman facing punishment for the incident is still able to appeal. The defendant argued that his actions as a 20-year-old were orchestrated by a brain that “does not fully develop until 25.” “The prohibition of consideration of the members’ good military character or service record moves the ‘zero-tolerance’ culture forward, omitting opportunities for the ‘good dude’ defense,” said military personnel expert Kate Kuzminski. The aircraft appeared to have problems with its landing gear and the pilot declared an in-flight emergency. "The Air Force is looking for somebody of white complexion and with the image that [it] needs." The Mirage F1, operated by a military contractor, was flying out of Luke Air Force Base on Feb. 10 on a mission to help train military fighter pilots. A fighter jet operated by a military contractor crashed west of Phoenix Thursday, Air Force officials said. Proposed changes to various areas would include consistently allowing flights later at night and at lower altitudes in some areas. Authorities used cellphone and financial records, and surveillance video to tie Mark Gooch to the crimes. A Luke Air Force Base spokesman said proceedings to discharge Mark Gooch will start after he’s sentenced in the Arizona case. Load More