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U2 down in Northern California

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U2 down in Northern California

Old 21st Sep 2016, 12:57
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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.
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Old 21st Sep 2016, 14:30
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Originally Posted by megan
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!

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

Originally Posted by 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.
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.

Originally Posted by sandiego89
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
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Old 21st Sep 2016, 17:05
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Thanks for the tail # info Airbubba. Some web sources differ on the converted ones- real alphabet soup with the U-2
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Old 21st Sep 2016, 19:01
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Originally Posted by sandiego89
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

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
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Old 21st Sep 2016, 23:38
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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.
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Old 22nd Sep 2016, 00:15
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From the latest 9RW Press Conference 21 Sep 1600 PST.

U-2 flights from Beale AFB suspended indefinitely.

Last edited by RAFEngO74to09; 22nd Sep 2016 at 04:02.
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Old 22nd Sep 2016, 01:10
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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

Last edited by RAFEngO74to09; 22nd Sep 2016 at 01:24.
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Old 22nd Sep 2016, 01:14
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Originally Posted by RAFEngO74to09
From the latest 9RW Press Conference 21 Sep 1600 PST.
U-2 flights from Beale AFB suspended indefinitely.
Wow. 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

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
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Old 22nd Sep 2016, 01:31
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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
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Old 22nd Sep 2016, 21:27
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Posted by U-2 pilot, Spoo


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
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Old 22nd Sep 2016, 23:09
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Posted by U-2 pilot, Spoo
Awesome nose art, especially those Wings of Gold!

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

http://www.marshallcenter.org/mcpubl...-clark-en.html

Originally Posted by RAFEngO74to09
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/BealeAirFor...97405440276935

Last edited by Airbubba; 23rd Sep 2016 at 00:49.
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Old 23rd Sep 2016, 19:24
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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
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Old 24th Sep 2016, 13:44
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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...
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Old 24th Sep 2016, 23:28
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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

Last edited by Madbob; 25th Sep 2016 at 09:44. Reason: Spelling typo
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Old 25th Sep 2016, 08:58
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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.
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Old 25th Sep 2016, 13:47
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one U-2 even did its own unassisted forced landing
Any details?
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Old 25th Sep 2016, 14:10
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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.
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Old 25th Sep 2016, 18:17
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Originally Posted by AtomKraft
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

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

U2 lands in Canada

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
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Old 25th Sep 2016, 19:45
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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).

Last edited by Kubarque; 25th Sep 2016 at 21:43. Reason: Add date of crash and cite
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Old 25th Sep 2016, 21:56
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Originally Posted by 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.
Thanks for this information.

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

Originally Posted by Kubarque
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-f...1-Mar-1959.pdf
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