U2 down in Northern California

[WillFlyForCheese]

U2 out of Beale is down near the Sutter Buttes. Reports are the two pilots ejected prior to the crash.

U-2 plane crashes in Sutter Buttes; 2 pilots eject | Sacramento News - KCRA Home (http://www.kcra.com/news/local-news/news-sacramento/plane-crashes-into-sutter-buttes-in-sutter-county/41746460)

[hunty]

Gents


Reported today.


U-2 plane crashes in Sutter Buttes; 2 pilots eject | Sacramento News - KCRA Home (http://www.kcra.com/news/local-news/news-sacramento/plane-crashes-into-sutter-buttes-in-sutter-county/41746460)

[Airbubba]

Sounds like some notifications are being made, I think the news is bad on one of the pilots. :(

[core_dump]

Does anyone know what the 3rd parachute is for? "Equipment" can mean a lot of things. If it's something top secret, I'm not sure I'd want it dangling from a canopy for all to see the landing location.

[Airbubba]

Video showing the plane in a spin going down and two parachutes:

Harrowing witness video shows U-2 spy plane crash in Sutter Buttes | News - KCRA Home (http://www.kcra.com/news/harrowing-witness-video-shows-u2-spy-plane-crash-in-sutter-buttes/41748404)

The other objects visible in the sky look to me like the gibbous moon and a smoke cloud from the ejection.

[sandiego89]

core dump: does anyone know what the 3rd parachute is for? "Equipment" can mean a lot of things. If it's something top secret, I'm not sure I'd want it dangling from a canopy for all to see the landing location
Most ejection systems/seats have a smaller drogue parachute that is sometimes thought to be another chute or crew member by (often unreliable) eyewitnesses. As this was a training version of the U-2, it would not have the most sensitive of equipment on board.


All the best to those and the families involved.

[peekay4]

From social media:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cs0WoiXUAAAynMq.jpg:small

USAF Air Combat Command has retracted an earlier statement that both pilots ejected safely. :uhoh:

[Airbubba]

An update with some sad news from the LA Times:

One pilot dead, a second injured in U-2 spy plane crash in rural Northern California

By Veronica Rocha

September 20, 2016, 12:55PM

One pilot was killed and another was injured when a U-2 spy plane crashed in a Northern California shortly after takeoff Tuesday morning, according to a U.S. Air Force official.

The pilots ejected shortly after takeoff from Beale Air Force Base and moments before the aircraft crashed into a rural area north of Sacramento, according to the Air Force.

Initially, the Air Force reported the crew members had “safely ejected” and were awaiting recovery.

Almost four hours after the crash however, air combat command tweeted “there is no official confirmation of status of U-2 pilots.”

Shortly before 1 p.m., Sgt. Charity Barrett of Beale Air Force Base confirmed the pilot’s death. The extent of injuries suffered by the second pilot was unclear.

The crash occurred around 9 a.m., and the pilots were participating in a training mission, according to the Air Force.

One pilot dead, a second injured in U-2 spy plane crash in rural Northern California - LA Times (http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-u2-spy-plane-down-northern-california-20160920-snap-story.html)

[G-CPTN]

How can aircrew who satisfactorily eject from a training aircraft sustain life-threatening (and fatal) injuries?

I thought that current ejections were capable of zero altitude?

AFAIK, the U2 isn't a 'fast' aircraft.

[Kubarque]

I believe this is the first ejection from a two-seat U-2.

[KPax]

RIP, they do a job that's not often spoken about in a very difficult aircraft to fly.

[Airbubba]

An overview of the U-2 ejection system from a Flying magazine article:

The U-2's ejection system is not as automated or advanced as those used in most fighter jets. Whatever direction you're pointed in when you eject is where you're going to go. And since you're wearing 130 pounds of extra equipment, the rocket that propels you there is bigger than normal, generating a force of 11 to 20 Gs. The parachute is bigger as well, with a bulb-like shape. Oh, yeah. And since the U-2 is a manual airplane, don't expect the pilot to hit that ejection button for you. You're on your own -- which is why the Air Force goes to all this trouble to train you in getting yourself out of the plane in an emergency.

We progress to an egress simulator, where I don a harness and helmet and learn how I can get myself out of the airplane, space suit and all, in case we end up on the ground but away from Beale. There are a couple of "automated" handles that disconnect me from all my various safety and life support equipment. But if they fail, I have to know how to manually disconnect myself from 10 different systems and restraining devices. Hartzler closes the canopy and tilts the plane 45 degrees on its side. U-2 pilots have to get themselves disentangled from the plane in less than 60 seconds. Seconds and then minutes tick by as I struggle to release air hoses, latches and safety cables. I'm successful, but I conclude that if the airplane really crash lands and catches fire, I'm probably going to burn up with it. Hartlzer assures me that adrenaline will kick in and improve my time dramatically.

In the afternoon, I move on to Sr. Airman Shawn O'Day for parachute and survival training. If I have to eject from the U-2, I will stay attached to the seat until 15,000 feet. At that point, the seat will separate, and the work begins. I learn how to deal with fouled lines, a partially inflated canopy, an inverted lobe, and holes in the canopy fabric. O'Day stresses that I can only cut away a total of six tangled lines. I dutifully note the restrictions, even as a piece of my brain decides that if I find myself putting this plan into action, the "six line" restriction is going to be the least of my problems.

I learn how I must then gain canopy control and steer the chute toward an appropriate landing site, into the wind and away from obstacles and trees. All that while opening my visor, closing my UCD valve, separating my communication cord, disconnecting my suit vent hose, removing my boot spur cables, and releasing my seat kit from my backside.

Piece of cake.

We practice the last bit of the descent and how to land properly, with feet and legs together and a rolling fall to the downwind side. O'Day then puts me in a harness and has me practice getting myself out of a 150-foot-tall tree with a PLD (Personnel Lowering Device), in case I don't quite manage to successfully implement the "land away from obstacles and trees" instruction.

So You Want to Fly a U-2? | Flying Magazine (http://www.flyingmag.com/so-you-want-fly-u-2)

[G-CPTN]

Sounds tricky.

[SpazSinbad]

One pilot dead, a second injured in U-2 spy plane crash in rural Northern California - LA Times (http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-u2-spy-plane-down-northern-california-20160920-snap-story.html)

[megan]

Video of the aircraft going down. Seems two good chutes but being reported one fatality.

Harrowing witness video shows U-2 spy plane crash in Sutter Buttes | News - KCRA Home (http://www.kcra.com/news/harrowing-witness-video-shows-u2-spy-plane-crash-in-sutter-buttes/41748404)

[Airbubba]

Looks like the tail number of the accident aircraft was 80-1068:

80-1068 art.#068
Delivered as TR-1A, July 1982
First aircraft delivered to 17 RW, Feb 1983
Transferred to 9 SRW, April 1987
Flew last combat "R" sortie in support of Operation Deliberate Guard on Feb 21, 1997 from Istreas AB, France, piloted by Major Domenick Eanniello


U-2 Locations (http://www.blackbirds.net/u2/u2local.html)

I believe the latest designation of the plane is a TU-2S.

The fire crews on site at Sutter Buttes were told over the radio not to approach the wreckage due to the danger of a hydrogen [sic] leak. Reminds me of the SR-71 crash 50 years ago where Lockheed test pilot Bill Weaver famously advised a rancher in a helicopter, Albert Mitchell, Jr., to stay away from the wreck because there was a nuke weapon onboard. :eek:

[megan]

stay away from the wreck because there was a nuke weapon onboardWas not Bill Weaver, but Ken Collins in the first A-12 to be lost. He was picked up by three lads in a pickup truck and given a lift, and they had his cockpit canopy in the back. He told them that it was an F-105, and is still listed in official reports as such, with a nuke on board. The A-12 did not "exist" at that time. Site cleaned up in two days.

[Haraka]

Megan.
I was told one amusing aside to that tale. Collins allegedly "phoned in" and knowing that he was within earshot of his erstwhile rescuers thus dutifully delivered the agreed "F- 105" cover story procedure for such an event. Apparently the call recipient hadn't been briefed in on all this, so the resultant conversation can be imagined.

[Brian Abraham]

Hi Haraka, Collins does not mention that in his account. The lads dropped him at the Highway Patrol Office, from where he made his "secret phone call", as he put it. In any event, a Connie arrived within two hours with security and engineers, followed closely by Kelly in his jet. He was even given sodium pentothol in the debrief in order to confirm his statements. An interesting story of how he ended up in an flat inverted spin.

[BBH]

Airbubba I think that hydrazyn instead of hydrogen can be found on fighter crash site in case of leak of batteries (need to wear specific protections ,clothes and masks) this was valid during the 1980's ,I don't know now.

[sandiego89]

Airbubba:Looks like the tail number of the accident aircraft was 80-1068


Bubba, what believes you to think it was 068? Curious as I was trying to figure that out as well.


I thought 068 was a single seater. Was she later converted? Other twin seaters (some converted) seem to include 064, 065, 078, 091. U-2 designations can be tricky, with numerous changes over the years.


Again, my thoughts for the family involved.

[Airbubba]

Was not Bill Weaver, but Ken Collins in the first A-12 to be lost. He was picked up by three lads in a pickup truck and given a lift, and they had his cockpit canopy in the back. He told them that it was an F-105, and is still listed in official reports as such, with a nuke on board.

Thanks for the correction! :ok:

From a Salt Lake Tribune article about the A-12 crash:

Nuclear cover story

After floating down for what seemed like hours, Collins hit ground and rolled on a sagebrush-covered hillside. As he gathered up his chute, he saw a pickup truck heading toward him from nearby U.S. 93.

Three samaritans had the A-12's canopy in the truck's bed and offered to give Collins a ride to the crashed top-secret plane a few miles away.

The CIA provided Collins a cover story for just this eventuality. "It's an F-105," he lied. "And it's got a nuclear weapon on board."

The startled driver looked at Collins and said, "Get in, if you want to be gone."

Collins laughs at the memory. "They weren't interested in seeing my plane anymore. But if it had a nuclear weapon, driving 10 miles away wasn't going to make much difference."

Crash site of one of Area 51's mysteries lies near Wendover - The Salt Lake Tribune (http://archive.sltrib.com/story.php?ref=/sltrib/news/51976355-78/collins-plane-area-crash.html.csp)

Airbubba I think that hydrazyn instead of hydrogen can be found on fighter crash site in case of leak of batteries (need to wear specific protections ,clothes and masks) this was valid during the 1980's ,I don't know now.

You are probably right. The warning was likely for leaking hydrazine, not hydrogen, and the radio dispatcher was misinformed on the name of the hazmat.

I have a friend who commanded an F-16 squadron in the 1980's. There is a backup power source called an EPU in the plane that runs off hydrazine from a tank in the right strake. Back in the '80's, there were strict orders not to say anything on the radio about the dangers of the hydrazine from an unscheduled landing or mishap lest the media and Environmental Protection Agency go ballistic.

Bubba, what believes you to think it was 068? Curious as I was trying to figure that out as well.

I thought 068 was a single seater. Was she later converted?

I got the tail number from one of the news copter videos of the scene. At least I think I did. The right side of the tail seems to be covered with soot from the fire but the markings are readable on the left in the clip I saw. As always, some of the photos in the online articles have nothing to do with the current mishap.

068 was indeed a conversion, it's made appearances as a two-seater at airshows in recent years, for example:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/28042007@N07/3323874552

[sandiego89]

Thanks for the tail # info Airbubba. Some web sources differ on the converted ones- real alphabet soup with the U-2

[Airbubba]

Thanks for the tail # info Airbubba. Some web sources differ on the converted ones- real alphabet soup with the U-2

Absolutely an alphabet soup, some sources call the latest trainer version of the plane a U-2ST, looks like the Air Force fact sheet calls it a TU-2S :

U-2S/TU-2S > U.S. Air Force > Fact Sheet Display (http://www.af.mil/AboutUs/FactSheets/Display/tabid/224/Article/104560/u-2stu-2s.aspx)

Here's a couple more sources listing the accident aircraft as 80-1068:

https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=190267

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7q0T2LjJEvg

[olandese_volante]

hydrazyn instead of hydrogen can be found on fighter crash site in case of leak of batteries
Batteries, unlikely. But hydrazine is known to be used as fuel for compact, non-air-breathing turbine APUs.

[RAFEngO74to09]

From the latest 9RW Press Conference 21 Sep 1600 PST.

U-2 flights from Beale AFB suspended indefinitely.

[RAFEngO74to09]

The deceased pilot has now been named as Lt Col Ira S Eadie assigned to 1RS. RIP.

https://twitter.com/9thRW/status/778760405451583488

The other pilot sustained non-life threatening injuries and is in good condition at a local medical facility.

https://twitter.com/9thRW/status/778761492887769093

[Airbubba]

From the latest 9RW Press Conference 21 Sep 1600 PST.
U-2 flights from Beale AFB suspended indefinitely.

Wow. :eek: These guys are normally airborne somewhere in the world close to 24 in 7 from what they have told me in years past.

And, perhaps inevitably, the fatal crash adds to the call for unmanned (I'm sure a more politically correct term will be soon coined) aircraft to take over the surveillance and reconnaissance missions.

From the LA Times:

U-2 crash shows why some want drones to replace spy planes

By Samantha Masunaga

The crash of a U-2 spy plane that killed one pilot and injured another during a Tuesday training mission could bolster arguments in favor of unmanned systems, as the long battle against the decades-old plane’s retirement winds closer to an end.

U-2 crash shows why some want drones to replace spy planes - LA Times (http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-u2-drones-20160921-snap-story.html)

Rest in Eternal Peace Lieutenant Colonel Ira 'Steve' Eadie. :(

Beale suspends all U-2 recon flights after deadly crash

1 killed, 1 injured in Tuesday's crash in Sutter Buttes

UPDATED 5:54 PM PDT Sep 21, 2016

BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (KCRA) —Officials identified the Beale Air Force Base pilot killed a U-2 plane crash Tuesday morning.

Lt. Col. Ira S. Eadie was with another pilot during a training mission near the Sutter Buttes when the plane crashed, the Air Force said Wednesday.

The other pilot suffered non-life-threatening injuries and is in good condition, the Air Force said. The pilot's identity has not been released.

The U-2 Dragon Lady crashed Tuesday morning in the Sutter Buttes shortly after takeoff from Beale Air Force Base, base officials said.

The two pilots who were inside the training plane ejected from the aircraft, but one of the pilots died while the other was injured, Air Force officials said Tuesday.

"The injured pilot was removed from the scene with a utility ground vehicle," 9th Mission Support Group commander Colonel Danielle Barnes said during a news conference Wednesday afternoon.

Beale Air Force base is indefinitely suspending reconnaissance flights after a deadly U-2 plane crash, Barnes said.

Beale suspends all U-2 recon flights after deadly crash | Sacramento News - KCRA Home (http://www.kcra.com/news/local-news/news-sacramento/beale-suspends-all-u2-recon-flights-after-deadly-crash/41768220)

[Airbubba]

More on Lt. Col. Eadie:


Lake City pilot killed in California spy plane crash

By News4Jax.com Staff
Posted: 5:12 PM, September 21, 2016
Updated: 6:13 PM, September 21, 2016

LAKE CITY, Fla. - The pilot who died Tuesday after he ejected from a U.S. Air Force U-2 spy plane just before it crashed into a mountain range in Northern California was a 20-year veteran who grew up in Lake City.

According to his family, Lt. Col. Ira Stephen Eadie had been stationed in California for the past six years. Before joining the Air Force, he was in the Navy and flew P-3 patrol aircraft out of NAS Jacksonville.

Eadie leaves behind a wife and six children, ranging in age from 6 to 25 years old.

Eadie's father told News4Jax that the couple met in Lake City and they were excellent parents devoted to family. He asked the community for prayer.

Lake City pilot killed in California spy plane crash (http://www.news4jax.com/news/military/lake-city-pilot-killed-in-california-spy-plane-crash)

[Kubarque]

http://i620.photobucket.com/albums/tt282/spooclark/Shooter_zps2cpineht.jpg
A true warrior. Never bitched (excessively), always worked hard, and made the brotherhood and the Air Force a better place. It was my honor, and many others, to serve with him.
Artisits: Amn Pucci and Amn Leonard. Nice work boys, some of the best nose art I've seen.
#flynavy

[Airbubba]

Posted by U-2 pilot, Spoo

Awesome nose art, especially those Wings of Gold! :ok:

Here's a bio of Lt. Col. Andy "Spoo" Clark:

http://www.marshallcenter.org/mcpublicweb/en/nav-itemid-fix-bios-en/107-cat-bios-faculty-en/2047-art-bio-andrew-clark-en.html

From the latest 9RW Press Conference 21 Sep 1600 PST.

U-2 flights from Beale AFB suspended indefinitely.

A clarification on the suspension of U-2 flights from Beale:

Flying operations worldwide for the U-2 Dragon Lady have not been impacted as a result of a recent crash here on September 20, 2016.

The demand signal for the U-2 to continue supporting combatant commanders and meet national security objectives has not diminished. The aircraft continues to be flown by highly trained pilots globally.

As a result of the crash, Beale put a hold on flying training missions locally in order to respond to the incident. The 9th Reconnaissance Wing intends to return to normal flying operations locally this week.

"Our ability to fly missions in support of commanders has not been impacted by the recent crash. We continue to carry out our mission of providing high altitude ISR and delivering that decision advantage to combatant commanders," Broadwell said.

https://www.facebook.com/BealeAirForceBase/posts/1497405440276935

[RAFEngO74to09]

Beale AFB Facebook:

"U-2 Dragon Lady relaunches at 9:01 this morning.

Beale Air Force Base has returned to normal flying operations since Tuesday, where a two-seater U-2 crashed in the Sutter Buttes near the installation.

The time of 9:01 a.m. was chosen specifically for the 9th Reconnaissance Wing and 1st Reconnaissance Squadron, the unit which Lt. Col. Steve "Shooter" Eadie was assigned to.

Today's launch signifies the resiliency of Team Beale and how we move forward."

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1498405963510216

[AtomKraft]

It will be interesting to see why these guys had to abandon this aircraft.

Surprised to learn also, that the 'modern' U-2s egress equipment is somewhat of a compromise- although it was ever thus, from what I've read...

[Madbob]

AtomKraft
I'm no expert on the ejection seats in the U2 but I do know of other tandem seat aircraft that were fitted with ejection seats and where each crew member sat under their own canopy. In the days before command ejection and automatic sequencing it was not unknown for the rear seater to collect a face full of the front seaters canopy.
In the F4 for example, the SOP was for the rear seater to go first in a premeditated ejection. That way he'd be gone before the front seat canopy jettisoned and there would be no risk of them colliding.
In an unpremeditated ejection the pilot would just go leaving the WSO to follow as quickly as he could react.
Pure speculation here, but with two good chutes observed the possibility must be that one of the crew, during the ejection sequence, struck either the other pilot's seat, or his canopy, resulting in fatal injuries.
If so it is all very sad but it won't have been the first time it has happened....

MB

[AtomKraft]

Madbob
Yes, it's all very tragic.
The U-2 has a long history of eventful abandonings. Right from the early FY56 aircraft, through to the present day.
I guess in an aircraft where performance is not to be compromised, everything else has to be a little....

As usual, the report will tell all, but the a/c looked to be in one big chunk as it spun in, so there was clearly a very pressing, if not obvious reason for saying cheerio to it. I expect, given the types superlative gliding performance it wasn't EFATO, as their must have been a decent change of a forced landing (as has been done before- one U-2 even did its own unassisted forced landing!) or even a glide back to Beale.

A damn shame, however you look at it.:sad:

[megan]

one U-2 even did its own unassisted forced landingAny details?

[AtomKraft]

Well, Megan.

It took off and the pilot had a catatonic seizure. Conked out.

The a/c was a bit left wing low and in a shallow descent. They sent up another jet for a look see, but couldn't do anything that woke the pilot up.

It continued as it was and looked set to hit still with the left wing down, which would no doubt have caused a cartwheel.

Just before this happened, it flew through a set of power lines. Amazingly, this happened in such a way that the a/c was restored to wings level and it then flopped into a field with the engine still running. Fuel came out, but ran away downslope without catching fire.

The arrival woke the pilot up and he decided to leave the scene. However, as he climbed out, he accidentally fired the ejection seat. He did a somersault and landed on the ground beside the plane. It chipped one of his teeth.
As he stood there, presumably trying to gather his thoughts, his seat arrived beside him with a mighty thud- but without hitting him.

The U-2C was recovered, and I believe it's the one preserved at Davis-Monthan AFB.

Info by memory from Chris Pococks' book 'Dragon Lady'.

edit to add, the one lost over Sverdlovsk on Mayday 1960 was also force landed previously somewhere in Japan. I think he was out of gas. It was rebuilt and went on to take its place in history as Frank Powers mount that day. Was article #360 I believe.

[Airbubba]

The U-2C was recovered, and I believe it's the one preserved at Davis-Monthan AFB.

The plane displayed at Warrior Park at Davis-Monthan AFB is 57-6716:

http://www.skytamer.com/1.2/2011/20110529-151.jpg

A blackbirds.net listing erroneously states:

Capt. Roger Cooper and 6716 were undamaged in a deadstick landing on frozen lake at Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada on 15 March 1960

56-6716, Art. #383 (http://www.blackbirds.net/u2/u2_photo_gallery/u2_pic_pages/56-6716.html)

However, these photos indicate that the Saskatchewan deadstick plane was 56-6717:

U2 lands in Canada (http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/Stories1/001-100/0013_U-2_Eckert/story0013.htm)

Any idea when or where the incapacitated pilot U-2 autoland occurred?

Here is a claim that some early U-2 aircraft did not have the ejection seat installed for performance reasons:

A side note is that some early (CIA mission) U-2 aircraft were not equipped with ejection seats. The seats for some missions were replaced with a tube frame and wicker seat. This was done to lower weight for greater altitude. Each pound saved would add a foot in altitude.

http://www.ejectionsite.com/u2seat.htm

[Kubarque]

The aircraft that landed itself was Article 381. 56-6714. It was mounted on a pole outside Wing HQ at Beale when I was there in 2005. (Written off after crash of 31 January 1980 (Captain Edward Beaumont survived)) --From p408, 50 Years of the U-2 by Chris Pocock


Ejection seats were first installed in the U-2s of both CIA and USAF via Service Bulletin 238 of 8 December 1957. The SB applied to all 41 then extant aircraft and added 52 pounds to the weight and balance. More than half of the 24 USSR missions had already been flown by this time (without ejection seats).

[Airbubba]

The aircraft that landed itself was Article 381. 56-6714. It was mounted on a pole outside Wing HQ at Beale when I was there in 2005.

Thanks for this information. :ok:

Here is the previously mentioned account in an excerpt from Chris Pocock's Dragon Lady: The History of the U-2 Spyplane (1989):

Now, this is no s**t... ;)

An even more remarkable incident occured on the last day of January
1981. Captain Edward Beaumont was in the early stages of check-out at
Beale AFB, having made his first trip in the U-2CT only nine days earlier.
This day, he was flying one of the last single-seat U-2C models remaining
in Air Force service (they were finally retired a few months later). On a
bright winter's day, he performed a number of touch-and-gos, and then
climbed out for some work at medium altitude. After this, he reported
descending through 14,000 feet. Some time later, his mobile control
officer on the ground at Beale was surprised to hear Beaumont key the
mike, but make no transmission. Instead, all that could be heard was a
heavy breathing sound as the U-2 pilot's transmitter remained open, but
silent. The tower was alerted, and a T-37 trainer that was also flying
locally was instructed to rendezvous with the errant U-2 and attract
Beaumont's attention.

As the two pilots in the T-37 drew alongside, they could hardly believe
their eyes. The U-2 pilot appeared to be slumped at the controls, with the
aircraft in a gentle, turning descent. Beaumont had had a catatonic
seizure, and was completely unconscious. With the accompanying pilots in
the T-38 (sic) powerless to intervene, the U-2 floated slowly towards the
Sierra foothills north of Oroville. As it neared the sloping ground, some
high-voltage power transmission lines barred the way. The T-37 pilot
braced themselves for a searing explosion as the black airframe flew into
the 230,000-kilovolt wires.

It never came. Incredibly, the U-2 clipped the bottom two wires with a
wingtip, but failed to incinerate. In fact, the contact with the power
lines had the effect of rolling the aircraft into the correct attitude for
a forced landing in an adjacent cow pasture. Had its wingtip not been
flipped up in this way, the aircraft would have cartwheeled as it impacted
the gently sloping terrain with one wing low. As the astonished T-37
pilots orbited overhead, the U-2 flopped into the muddy field and ground
to a halt with the engine running. Fuel began spilling from a ruptured
tank, but it ran downhill and therefore failed to ignite.

The sudden arrival on terra firma revived the stricken pilot. Although
confused, he managed to shut the engine down. But the drama wasn't yet
over. As the still-groggy Beaumont began to extricate himself from the
aircraft, his foot slipped and caught in the D-ring of the ejection seat,
which he had failed to make safe. It fired through the canopy, flinging
the pilot upwards with it. Beaumont's body described a somersault, but he
landed on his feet to one side of the aircraft, while the seat thudded
into the ground nearby. His only injury was a chipped tooth! When the
preliminary accident report was circulated, SAC generals and Lockheed
managers alike thought that someone had made up the whole story as a joke.
Not surprisingly, Beaumont was scrubbed from the U-2 programme on medical
grounds. The U-2C which ended its flying days in a cow pasture, is now on
display at Beale.


I got the passage above from this post on another forum about an encounter with Mr. Beaumont a decade ago:

met a U-2 pilot today - GT40s.com (http://www.gt40s.com/forum/paddock/18352-met-u-2-pilot-today.html#post160771)


Ejection seats were first installed in the U-2s of both CIA and USAF via Service Bulletin 238 of 8 December 1957. The SB applied to all 41 then extant aircraft and added 52 pounds to the weight and balance. More than half of the 24 USSR missions had already been flown by this time (without ejection seats).

Thanks again, this 1959 U-2 Flight Manual published by the CIA indeed has procedures in Section 3 for bailout with ejection seat and bailout with non-ejection seat:

https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/utility-flight-hb-1-Mar-1959.pdf

[tdracer]

I remember reading somewhere that ~80% of ejections were "successful", where successful was defined as the person surviving - walking away uninjured being a much smaller percentage :eek:. Granted that was probably a couple decades ago.
So, is the modern kit much better?
Every five years, I need to take a safety class to remain qualified for flight testing. One of the scenarios is evacuating a 747 via the overhead flight deck hatch using the inertial reels. I've looked out that hatch on occasion - I'm not saying I wouldn't jump out that hatch and trust my life to the reel (and my ability to hang on to it), but the alternative would have to look rather dire :sad:.
Does that apply to modern ejection seats as well?

[megan]

Many thanks AtomKraft and Airbubba. An almost unbelievable story, but then, there are many to be had.

[Jhieminga]

In his book 'Operation Overflight' Francis Powers explains that he chose not to use the ejection seat as he could not get himself in the correct position for ejection because of the g-forces he encountered. Had he used the seat, the canopy edge might have taken off his legs. Apparently the combination of the ejection seat type and the available space in the cockpit meant that a successful ejection could only be made from a very specific seating position. I assume that the more modern seat type in use now, coupled with the larger cockpit size of the newer U-2s, has at least removed part of this hazard.

[Airbubba]

Every five years, I need to take a safety class to remain qualified for flight testing. One of the scenarios is evacuating a 747 via the overhead flight deck hatch using the inertial reels. I've looked out that hatch on occasion - I'm not saying I wouldn't jump out that hatch and trust my life to the reel (and my ability to hang on to it), but the alternative would have to look rather dire :sad:.I've had to familiarize myself with that exit on a yearly basis with three different airlines. I agree that it looks dicey. It reminds me of the old Jack Benny line when the robber shouts "Your money or your life!" After a long pause Benny says "I'm thinking it over..."

The pilots and FE in the Pan Am 73 hijack in Karachi 30 years ago exited through that hatch as the incident started, a move that appears less controversial now than it was at the time.

In his book 'Operation Overflight' Francis Powers explains that he chose not to use the ejection seat as he could not get himself in the correct position for ejection because of the g-forces he encountered. Had he used the seat, the canopy edge might have taken off his legs.

Here's an account of Powers' famous U-2 egress from his former employer, the CIA:

The young pilot had been flying for almost four hours when he heard a dull thump, the aircraft lurched forward, and there was a bright orange flash from a nearby surface-to-air missile. The plane’s right wing began to droop and the nose started to go down. Powers tried to correct it, but the plane continued its downward trajectory. Powers was uncertain if the control cable had been severed or if the tail was gone. He was certain, however, that he no longer had control of the plane.

Powers initial reaction was to pull the destruct switches, but he decided he’d better secure an exit plan for himself first. This, however, was proving difficult as the g forces had hurled him to the nose of the plane, which was spinning tail first towards the earth. Powers thought of ejecting but realized, in his current position, he likely would have had both off his legs cut off while trying to escape the plane.

On the verge of panic, Powers decided he would climb out of the plane. The whirling aircraft had passed thirty-four thousand feet when he removed the canopy. He took off his seat-belt, which sent him flying halfway out of the aircraft. His face plate frosted over rendering him visionless. Powers tried to get to the destruct switches twice but, realizing time was running out, he began kicking frantically and miraculously the oxygen hoses that were holding him hostage in the U-2 broke and freed him from the spiraling plane.

Suddenly, all was silent, except for the rustling of material as the chute opened and settled in the wind. Powers hung in the air desperately trying to comprehend what had just happened and trying to assess his current situation. He was fifteen thousand feet above the Soviet Union and the ground was growing ever closer. As he clutched the straps of his chute, he saw a piece of the plane float down past him.

He was nearly to the ground when he noticed a car driving down a dirt road that seemed to be following his path. During his final moments of solitude, Powers considered using the poison pin. However, he clung to the hope that maybe, just maybe, there was a chance he could somehow escape. Realizing the silver dollar would most likely be confiscated, he removed the pin and placed it in his pocket. He tossed the coin into the field below.

Powers managed to avoid landing on a tractor, in a lake, and on crackling power lines. Children came running out to see the spectacle. Once grounded the two men from the vehicle gathered Powers and his chute and drove him to a village.

https://www.cia.gov/news-information/featured-story-archive/2015-featured-story-archive/francis-gary-powers.html

[Kubarque]

https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP80B01676R002200030002-5.pdf

This was Powers' first chance to tell his story to the CIA debriefing team. There were a total of 16 tapes made over the period 13-18 February 1962. All the transcripts appear to be available as pdfs from the CIA CREST site.

https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/collection/crest-25-year-program-archive

[Airbubba]

Thanks for that historical source document Kubarque. :ok:

A recurrent theme in U-2 and SR-71 spacesuit ejections seems to be problems with the quick disconnects, QD's, on the suit hose fittings. In some cases the flailing hoses have been known to shatter the helmet visor.

Here is an account of the first successful U-2 'ejection' (perhaps actually a bailout from the timeline) by Colonel Jack Nole on September 26, 1957:

Ejecting from the U-2 was no simple process. Each hose, tube and connector had to be individually disconnected, including the shoulder harness and radio connection. Nole had shut down the engine when he first observed the trouble. His pressure suit had inflated and further restricted movement in the cockpit. He struggled to release himself from the various connections then released the canopy and exited the aircraft. He faced another problem after he had ejected from the aircraft.

At this altitude, he had two choices. One, he could pull the cord to open his parachute and allow himself to get oxygen from his emergency tank. Two, he could free fall and risk suffocation. There was a possibility of freezing to death if he opened the parachute at such high altitude. He remembered his training—any action was better than no action, so he pulled the ripcord.

As he descended, he was swinging alternately face up then face down. For the first time in his 17 years, in the cockpit, he became violently airsick. When he landed, he came down on his seat pack on his bottom. Investigators said it would have broken his back without the pack.

As a result of Colonel Nole's incident, many changes were made in the U-2, the most significant being the ejection seat. The first U-2 was designed without ejection seats, but “the decision makers” soon decided to install one in each aircraft. Quick disconnects were also incorporated for all systems and harnesses.

Colonel Nole's successful ejection contributed to the future survival of countless other pilots.

From: Remembering the Dragon Lady: The U-2 Spy Plane: Memoirs of the Men Who Made the Legend (2012)

[Madbob]

Sorry about the weird formatting but the text is copied off the RAF Fairford website.....


The text high-lighted in bold gives some idea of the seats as fitted in 1995 which had then supposedly a "zero-zero" capability..... a ROD of 27 fpm is over 1,600 fpm. The crude rule of thumb, is that to survive one needs height equal to 10% assuming wings level even with a 0-0 seat.......

MB

In early 1995 when RAF Alconbury in East Anglia, UK closed the 9th Reconnaissance Wing moved their forward operating location known as Operating Location-United Kingdom (OL-UK) to RAF Fairford. The unit’s three U-2R aircraft and several hundred ground crew took up residence at the Gloucestershire base at a time when there was international political interest in the former-Yugoslavia.




Once settled into their new Cotswold home the unit began flying operational missions on an almost daily basis. In fact even today the U-2 is the only aircraft in of the United States Air Force that flies operational missions everyday of the year somewhere in the world, and has done for the last five decades. On the 29th August 1995 disaster was to strike. Captain David Hawkens was to take himself and the U-2 68-10338 on what was described as a “higher-headquarters tasked reconnaissance sortie” where “Mooch 31” his mission call sign was scheduled to “conduct operations at high altitude along a classified routing” before returning to RAF Fairford eight to ten hours later.

When Hawkens took off at 7:27am the left pogo, a detachable wheel used to stabilise the aircraft’s wings during ground operations, failed to fall from the aircraft as expected when the aircraft left the runway. With the pogo still attached Hawkens halted the mission and leveled off at 500 feet before beginning a visual approach to Fairford’s runway 27.


The agreed U-2 procedure for a “hung pogo” was to rock the aircraft’s wings and yaw from side to side while over a safe area in the hope the pogo would fall off. In the case of RAF Fairford the procedure specifically mentioned avoiding over flying the village of Kempsford and using the area to the south of the main runway to shake off the pogos while maintaining a minimum height of 500 feet. When Hawkens reached the airfield his Commander on the ground told him to “try rocking the wings a little bit and kick the rudders”. The pilot started shaking and rocking the aircraft but at the same time he was losing vital speed and altitude.

Just after Hawkens had passed the runway’s midpoint the aircraft entered a stall during which the left wing dropped and hit the runway breaking off the wingtip. The aircraft veered left towards the grassed infields and a few seconds later the aircraft struck a power sub-station on the ground and crashed through the base’s perimeter fence. It was when the aircraft hit the concrete taxiway during the bounce that Hawkens ejected.



The U-2’s ejection system is classed as “zero-zero” meaning its considered safe for ejection at zero altitude and zero airspeed however for this to be true the aircraft must also have no bank angle or sink rate. At the time of ejection Hawkens was sinking at a rate of 27 feet per second and the aircraft was banking 20 degrees to the left. The seat’s drogue chute deployed but the main chute didn’t have time to open causing the pilot to land on his side 150 feet east of the wreckage and still pointing in the direction of ejection.



Following the ejection the aircraft came to a halt in a farmer’s field just outside the base perimeter where the nose broke off and the engine, wings and cockpit section caught fire. Five crash rescue vehicles and the Fire Chief arrived on scene and began tackling the fire while the rescue truck which had arrived with fire fighters was out searching the crash site for the pilot. The Air Force ambulance along with the U-2 unit’s Physiological Support Division (PSD) truck which had tools on board to help remove the pilot’s pressure suit helmet also arrived ready to help once Hawkens had been found.


At the time it wasn’t know that he’d ejected from the aircraft but once Hawkens had been found and his injuries inspected it was decided to evacuate him straight away to the base’s trauma centre before he could be airlifted to the Princess Margaret Hospital in Swindon by a local police helicopter. Despite obviously severe injuries the medics continued to try and stabilise his condition however Captain Hawkens’s autopsy later described the force at which he hit the ground as being his cause of
death. His official time of death was recorded as 9:55am, 29th August 1995.


Captain David “Hawk” Hawkens came from a military family in McLean, Fairfax County, North Virginia and was just 35 when he died. He’d been flying the U-2 for just over a year and had flown nine operational missions from RAF Fairford.

[Airbubba]

A tragically similar stuck pogo scenario also resulted in perhaps the first U-2 fatality, at Groom Lake May 15, 1956. Article 345, 56-6678 crashed killing Wilburn S. "Billy" Rose.

From the NASA publication Unlimited Horizons (2015):

One incident with deadly results was a consequence of the unusual landing gear arrangement. As originally designed, the pogo outriggers were to be dropped during or shortly after takeoff using a manual release system. “We soon learned that any delay by the pilot in dropping them would often cause them to hang up,” Ernie Joiner recalled. “When that happened, it was wise to stay clear of the airplane’s flight path.”

On May 15, CIA pilot Wilburn S. “Billy” Rose had just taken off for a training flight in Article 345 when he noticed that one of the outriggers had failed to separate. He tried to shake it loose while flying low over the lakebed but the airplane, heavy with fuel, stalled and crashed. Rose became the first CIA fatality of the program. To prevent a reoccurrence of the problem, the pilot actuation system was removed so that the pogos would fall away automatically as soon as the wings started to lift, while the airplane was still on the runway. A spring was installed on the upper end of the pogo to push it away from the wing as soon as the weight of the aircraft was lifted.

An excellent list of U-2 production and disposition (and sadly, a lot of fatalities :() is in Appendix 2 of this book.

https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/unlimited-horizons.pdf

[West Coast]

Thanks Bubba, my 6 hr deadhead is now covered with some good reading.

[Jhieminga]

An interesting sidenote to the discussion of the two pogo-related crashes above:
Lockheed Martin has a video on their site (see here: The U-2 Dragon Lady · Lockheed Martin (http://www.lockheedmartin.com/us/100years/stories/u2.html)) that they label as showing the U-2's first flight. You can clearly see the pogos falling away during the take-off roll before lift off. More than one book describes the pogos as being released by the pilot after lift off until after the May 1956 accident, so I suspect that while this video shows a U-2 as flown early in the type's career, it was recorded after May 1956. Anyone else with thoughts about this?

I have a distinct feeling that there are more errors on that page by the way :uhoh:

[Kubarque]

This video was produced for the CIA c/a 1956-57. It was made for showing to the very few senior leaders who were cleared for the program at that time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvJim_o7Dp0

There is a sequence showing the high speed taxi test a few days before the official "first flight".

The aircraft in the bogus Lockheed Martin "first flight" video referenced by Jhieminga
bears the marking "344" at the tip of the vertical fin. Article 344 was not delivered to the test site till 20 November 1954, nearly 4 months after the first U-2 flight.

Parts 2 and 3 of THE INQUISITIVE ANGEL are here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTNKqQum4e0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRoC0Lo8Ylw

In total, almost an hour-long discussion of the aircraft and its reconnaissance systems

[RAFEngO74to09]

The Memorial Service for Lt Col Steve "Shooter" Eadie - U-2 Solo #876 - was held at Beale AFB on 29 Sep 16.

Lt Col Eadie was a military aviator for over 20 years - 13 years with the USN on the P-3 and then 7 years on the U-2 from 2009. He was one of 6 instructors on 1 RS and had been responsible for training 23 U-2 pilots - including signing off on Solo #1000 earlier this year.

http://media.defense.gov/2016/Sep/30/2001642745/-1/-1/0/160929-F-CY172-051.JPG

http://media.defense.gov/2016/Sep/30/2001642767/-1/-1/0/160929-F-HL308-198.JPG

Team Beale remembers one of their own > Beale Air Force Base > Article Display (http://www.beale.af.mil/News/ArticleDisplay/tabid/6961/Article/961316/team-beale-remembers-one-of-their-own.aspx)

An appeal fund set for his family by one of his colleagues surpassed $50K within 24 hours and now exceeds $100K. The comments from some of the donors show the high regard in which he was held throughout the U-2 community.

https://www.youcaring.com/ashley-eadie-654162

[RAFEngO74to09]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQPPpeNCojQ

[RAFEngO74to09]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnMf6nal0jc

[RAFEngO74to09]

Note the manual elements of the procedure.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnMf6nal0jc

[RAFEngO74to09]

The use of a chase car explained here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvmqmG30dHo

Why does the U-2 need chase cars? > Beale Air Force Base > Article Display (http://www.beale.af.mil/News/ArticleDisplay/tabid/6961/Article/667248/why-does-the-u-2-need-chase-cars.aspx)

The latest car used at Beale AFB is the Chevrolet Camaro replacing the Pontiac G8 which is no longer produced.

http://st.motortrend.com/uploads/sites/5/2013/11/Chevrolet-Camaro-SS-U-2-Spy-Plane-rear-three-quarters-02.jpg

When I first saw a U-2 at "an undisclosed overseas location", they used a Chevrolet El Camino - now a much prized collector car !

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/82/6e/f2/826ef2be8d174703d07bb6ffab412828.jpg

[BEagle]

I was fortunate enough to be shown around a U-2 at a USAF base by a chum who'd been a U-2 pilot but was now involved in another activity.

The following day a couple of us joined him at the site for the departure. The pilot was being pre-oxygenated in his suit in one of those huge American armchairs whilst the jet was pre-flighted and readied by the support crew. Then he was transferred to an astronaut-style portable life support device and we followed him out to the aircraft in the chase car - he was quickly strapped in and waited for the green signal, before taxying the aircraft to the threshold. We did a quick FOD check along the runway, then turned back to position alongside the cockpit. My colleague gave him a thumbs up, whereupon the engine was slammed to max thrust and off he went; we raced down the runway behind him and collected the pogos, then drove back to the facility.

From leaving the pre-oxygenation chair to take-off took about 5 min at most - and everything was done without radio. A very slick performance which had obviously been practised many times before.

By the time we parked up for breakfast, the U-2 was already in the stratosphere!

Having watched another U-2 landing at another location, it's obvious that it isn't easy!

[Jhieminga]

Parts 2 and 3 of THE INQUISITIVE ANGEL are here:
Thank you for posting that, a very interesting insight into the early days of the U-2:ok:

[Airbubba]

The use of a chase car explained here.

Why does the U-2 need chase cars? > Beale Air Force Base > Article Display (http://www.beale.af.mil/News/ArticleDisplay/tabid/6961/Article/667248/why-does-the-u-2-need-chase-cars.aspx)

In the Beale AFB article posted above the chase car driver is referred to as a Mobil Officer. Shouldn't it be Mobile Officer? Or is the petroleum product brand name actually used in U-2 community jargon?

I realize that Mobile is also a city in L.A. (Lower Alabama ;)).

I was somewhat surprised that Lt. Col. Eadie had been a Navy P-3 aviator before becoming an Air Force pilot flying the U-2. Such transfers are uncommon for active duty pilots in my experience.

Also, Lt. Col. (now Colonel) Merryl Tengesdal flew SH60B helos in the Navy before becoming an Air Force U-2 pilot.

This Black History Month Lockheed Martin profile says she started out in the Army, went to the Navy and then the Air Force:

And, Col T stuck to the path. She did well in math and science, majored in electrical engineering in college and entered flight training in 1995.

Then, when she graduated from Officer Candidate School, the U.S. Army’s main training academy for prospective Army Officers, she went directly into the aviation preflight pipeline for the U.S. Navy.

From the Navy, Col T entered the U-2 Program for the U.S. Air Force in 2004, becoming U-2 mission qualified in 2005, and when it comes to U-2 pilots, one of the coolest perks is the view.

Lockheed Martin Mobile · How Star Trek Led to the U-2 (http://m.lockheedmartin.com/m/us/news/features/2016/star-trek-to-U2.html)

Anybody know the provenance of the peace symbol on 'Col T's' shoulder patch in this hi-res picture?:

http://atlantablackstar.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/150209-f-cy182-080.jpg

[megan]

Such transfers are uncommon for active duty pilots in my experienceNot really. Know a US Army Huey driver from Vietnam days ending up commanding a wing of Marine aircraft in Japan. Maybe not a regular occurrence.

[Airbubba]

Not really. Know a US Army Huey driver from Vietnam days ending up commanding a wing of Marine aircraft in Japan. Maybe not a regular occurrence.

One of my friends was a 'Dustoff' helo pilot in Vietnam but he had to go through a commissioning program (Aviation Officer Candidate School) and Navy flight training to get his Wings of Gold. Similarly, Blue Angel Randy Clark flew Loaches in Vietnam before going through AOCS and Navy flight training. Randy already owned a Pitts when he started at Saufley so that was an advantage. ;)

Still, I think the transition from Naval Aviator to Air Force Pilot is unusual for folks on active duty even in these modern times.

Blue Angel Larry Packer went into the Air National Guard after leaving the Navy. They made him change his Navy callsign. It was Fudge. :eek:

Here is a partial list of the current requirements for U-2 pilot applicants:

---- CURRENT HIRING RESTRICTIONS ----

 Opportunities for IST are extremely limited,
 The Air Staff is not allowing any ANG or AFR pilots to come on active duty.
 AFPC will not allow us to interview any fighter/bomber coded pilots for the time being.

---- FLYING REQUIREMENTS ----

 Possess at least 1200 rated hours (Notes: RMQ-1/9 Reaper time may be used to partially satisfy minimum rated hours. Do Not include pilot training or civilian time)

- Or -

 800 rated hours in trainer aircraft such as T-1, T-6, T-34, T-37, T-38, T-45, etc

- Or -

 500 hours in fighters

- And -

 Possess at least 500 hours in fixed wing, non-RPA, aircraft

- And -

 Possess 12 months or 400 hours as pilot-in-command in primary mission aircraft

You must also have an SCI/SBI or the capability to obtain one.
U-2 Pilot Application > Beale Air Force Base > Display (http://www.beale.af.mil/Library/FactSheets/Display/tabid/7004/Article/279960/u-2-pilot-application.aspx)

I enjoyed this wise perspective from the FAQ:

I heard the U-2 may retire soon. How long will it be flying?

I heard the same thing 20 years ago. Right now the U-2 is funded through 2016, and could continue until 2025, or longer. The airframe will last until approximately 2050 at current utilization rates. While the original "Deuce" was designed in the 1950's, the modern U-2 is outfitted with state-of-the-art sensors and equipment, making it the most effective and least expensive tool for the job. There is plenty of time left for a very rewarding career in flying the U-2!

[bigglesbrother]

Beale AFB California dual control U-2 news update soon?

It is now one month+ since this sad event took place.
A veteran Colonel aviator lost his life. The 'student' survived.

Is there any brief news as to what may have happened? Was the student on a first ride & wearing a pressure suit. Lady or man?

The brief amateur video attached to an early pprune post (#5) shows 2 'chutes very close together at perhaps 3,000' and a U-2 descending in a spin.

[HEMS driver]

USAF reports that U-2 student on first flight in U-2 lost control due to a secondary stall. Wow.

News Article (http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article145497629.html)

[SpazSinbad]

Had no luck downloading accident report from here - it stalls - no pun intended:


https://www.scribd.com/document/345659642/Accident-Investigation-Report-for-Sept-2016-crash-of-TU-2S#download

[ORAC]

Here you are Spaz.......

Accident Investigation Report for Sept. 2016 crash of TU-2S
3 pages available for preview

United States Air Force Accident Investigation Board Report TU-2S Mishap With Fatality, Beale AFB, CA

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

UNITED STATES AIR FORCE AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION TU-2S, T/N 80-001068 BEALE AFB, CA 20 SEPTEMBER 2016

On 20 September 2016 at 0908 local (L) time, a two-seat TU-2S crashed 18 nautical miles west of Beale Air Force Base (AFB), California (CA). Mishap Instructor Pilot (MIP) and Mishap Pilot (MP) egressed the Mishap Aircraft (MA) at approximately 8,500 feet mean sea level. MIP did not survive ejection, and MP sustained non-life threatening injuries. MA, tail number 80-001068, was assigned to the 1st Reconnaissance Squadron, 9th Reconnaissance Wing (9 RW), Beale AFB, CA. MA impacted private property 5 miles northwest of Sutter, CA, resulting in a grass fire that burned most of a 262 acre pasture. MA was completely destroyed. There were no injuries on the ground.

The mishap occurred during the first of three Acceptance Flight (AF) mission profiles for the MP. AF missions are for the screening of prospective U-2 pilots. MA launched at 0855L, with MIP executing the takeoff and transferring aircraft control to the MP en route to the maneuver area, 15-20 nautical miles west of Beale AFB. On the recovery from a third no-flap “approach to stall” maneuver, MA entered a full aerodynamic secondary stall with the left wing sharply dropping 70-80 degrees and the nose falling 35-40 degrees below the horizon. It could not be determined what actions MIP took to recover MA. However, with MA rapidly approaching the minimum uncontrolled ejection altitude, MIP commanded ejection. Immediately after ejection and while still seated in the ejection seat, MIP and his seat impacted the last 5 feet of MA’s right wing, fatally wounding the MIP. MIP’s parachute automatically deployed, with MIP landing within a quarter mile of MP, just over one mile from the MA wreckage. MP received minor facial burns from MIP’s ejection seat rocket motor and injuries to his left ankle during the parachute landing.

Beale AFB first responders arrived at the crash site at 0959L. Local civilian first responders were already on scene fighting the grass fire. MIP and MP were located before 1000L by a 9 RW T-38/A and a civilian helicopter. MP was evacuated by civilian helicopter, arriving at a civilian hospital at 1228L. MIP was recovered and transported by the Sutter County Coroner.

The Accident Investigation Board President found by a preponderance of evidence that the cause of the mishap was the MP’s flight control inputs during the recovery phase of a no-flap “approach to stall” maneuver that led MA into an unintentional secondary stall and uncommanded sharp left wing drop, with 70-80 degrees of bank and the nose 35-40 degrees below the horizon. As MA approached the minimum uncontrolled ejection altitude, MIP commanded ejection. During the subsequent ejection, MIP and his seat struck the MA’s right wing, resulting in fatal injuries.

[Treble one]

Absolutely awful. RIP sir.

[Lonewolf_50]

One of my friends was a 'Dustoff' helo pilot in Vietnam but he had to go through a commissioning program (Aviation Officer Candidate School) and Navy flight training to get his Wings of Gold.

Blue Angel Larry Packer went into the Air National Guard after leaving the Navy. They made him change his Navy callsign. It was Fudge. :eek:
I think I served with Larry's brother. I worked for two Naval Officers -- one a Captain, the other a Read Admiral -- who got their aviation careers started flying Hueys in Viet Nam in the Army.


As to the accident report: an IP's nightmare ...

[Saintsman]

I remember when first doing stall training, the urge to level the wings if one fell away when entering the stall. I don't think I would have liked to experience something as harsh as 70-80 degrees, especially with a U2's wingspan.

[gums]

Salute!

Yeah, Saints, seems best thing to do besides relaxing back pressure or even pushing yoke/stick forward is RUDDER, not aileron.

This accident had a quick and severe roll angle and pitch break, and I would have to see the tapes to see what happened first. I am not sure any IP could have recovered other than Yeager or his clone. OTOH, considering the IP's back ground, he may not have been exposed to many departures, especially in the U-2.

I agree it was an IP's worst nightmare. And I throw a nickel on the grass.

Gums sends..

[Flying_Anorak]

As a glider pilot / instructor I can sympathise. A key exercise for students is the secondary effect of rudder close to the stall...... on a glider / sailplane this will give little yaw but considerable roll.

Salute!

Yeah, Saints, seems best thing to do besides relaxing back pressure or even pushing yoke/stick forward is RUDDER, not aileron.

This accident had a quick and severe roll angle and pitch break, and I would have to see the tapes to see what happened first. I am not sure any IP could have recovered other than Yeager or his clone. OTOH, considering the IP's back ground, he may not have been exposed to many departures, especially in the U-2.

I agree it was an IP's worst nightmare. And I throw a nickel on the grass.

Gums sends..

[tartare]

And I throw a nickel on the grass.

Gums sends..

Had never heard that (https://barnapkinairpower.com/2016/02/14/a-nickel-on-the-grass/) before - you learn something everyday.

[gums]

Thank you Tart,

I threw so many over the years that I ordered a roll of really old "buffalo" nickels from the U.S. mint.

I celebrate every day I see those F-35 Stubbies in the pattern here at Eglin. A whole new generation of young girls and guys that wish to go out and beyond. They are my grand children of those I helped to learn the bidness over 40 years ago.

It will be a sad day when the last fighter pilot has to report to the drone squadron in Nevada.

Gums sends...

P.S. and then there's Jeremiah Weed!!!

[tartare]

...there certainly is sir!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bqx2wIQtKo

...a shot of something in between lysol, alcohol and a touch of gasoline...

[megan]

I am not sure any IP could have recovered other than Yeager or his cloneAnd probably not even he. Threw away a 104 after an accidental spin due writing a cheque he couldn't cash.

[ORAC]

Dos Gringos

2bqx2wIQtKo

[pax britanica]

Simple full time civilian here but some links here prompted me to read up on flying the U2. goodness me what a dangerous occupation flying the U2 is and yet the loss rate from such an unstable and unforgiving aircraft ( thats a really scary phrase when you think about it) has been in regular use for decades . total respect for those who fly and maintain it.

Not many jobs where losing concentration (which must be tempting with the amazing views they get) for a moment sends you into an unrecoverable dive/spin/spiral. Extraordinary

[Wee Weasley Welshman]

U2 crews deserve a medal just for volunteering.


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