EX FTE
15th Oct 2003, 11:20
Notwithstanding the usual over-hyping that some newspapers are known for, this sounds like a genuine issue out at Edwards.
Just goes to show that thousands of hours of flight test dont uncover all the foibles of an aircraft!! Good to see that all ended well for Johnny Pilot.
Fighter jet mishap focus of inquiry
BY RICHARD WHITTLE
Dallas Morning News
WASHINGTON - One of the Air Force's prized -- and politically vulnerable -- F/A-22 Raptor fighter jets nearly crashed during a recent practice flight, prompting an investigation, service officials confirm.
The previously unreported incident occurred Sept. 19 near Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., officials said, when an experienced F-15 pilot with less than 20 hours in the exotic new F/A-22 attempted a dogfight maneuver that sent the aircraft plummeting in an upside-down spiral.
The unidentified pilot became disoriented as the $161 million plane plunged more than 10,000 feet from a beginning altitude of 13,000 to 15,000 feet, a senior Air Force official told the Dallas Morning News, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The pilot and plane were saved when he released the controls and the F/A-22 stopped spiraling, allowing him to regain his bearings, the official said.
A safety investigation board headed by a brigadier general found no flaw in the airplane or any mechanical reason for the incident, the official said.
The F/A-22, a twin-engine stealth jet with "thrust vectoring" that allows it to do unconventional maneuvers by pointing its exhaust in different directions, is built by Lockheed Martin Corp. in Fort Worth and Marietta, Ga. Boeing Co. is a one-third partner.Wichita Eagle transcript of a Dallas Morning News story (http://www.kansas.com/mld/kansas/business/industries/6993384.htm)
Just goes to show that thousands of hours of flight test dont uncover all the foibles of an aircraft!! Good to see that all ended well for Johnny Pilot.
Fighter jet mishap focus of inquiry
BY RICHARD WHITTLE
Dallas Morning News
WASHINGTON - One of the Air Force's prized -- and politically vulnerable -- F/A-22 Raptor fighter jets nearly crashed during a recent practice flight, prompting an investigation, service officials confirm.
The previously unreported incident occurred Sept. 19 near Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., officials said, when an experienced F-15 pilot with less than 20 hours in the exotic new F/A-22 attempted a dogfight maneuver that sent the aircraft plummeting in an upside-down spiral.
The unidentified pilot became disoriented as the $161 million plane plunged more than 10,000 feet from a beginning altitude of 13,000 to 15,000 feet, a senior Air Force official told the Dallas Morning News, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The pilot and plane were saved when he released the controls and the F/A-22 stopped spiraling, allowing him to regain his bearings, the official said.
A safety investigation board headed by a brigadier general found no flaw in the airplane or any mechanical reason for the incident, the official said.
The F/A-22, a twin-engine stealth jet with "thrust vectoring" that allows it to do unconventional maneuvers by pointing its exhaust in different directions, is built by Lockheed Martin Corp. in Fort Worth and Marietta, Ga. Boeing Co. is a one-third partner.Wichita Eagle transcript of a Dallas Morning News story (http://www.kansas.com/mld/kansas/business/industries/6993384.htm)