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U2 down in Northern California

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U2 down in Northern California

Old 20th Sep 2016, 17:13
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U2 down in Northern California

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
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Old 20th Sep 2016, 18:41
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U-2 down

Gents


Reported today.


U-2 plane crashes in Sutter Buttes; 2 pilots eject | Sacramento News - KCRA Home
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Old 20th Sep 2016, 18:53
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Sounds like some notifications are being made, I think the news is bad on one of the pilots.
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Old 20th Sep 2016, 19:19
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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.
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Old 20th Sep 2016, 19:23
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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

The other objects visible in the sky look to me like the gibbous moon and a smoke cloud from the ejection.
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Old 20th Sep 2016, 19:50
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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.
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Old 20th Sep 2016, 20:08
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From social media:


USAF Air Combat Command has retracted an earlier statement that both pilots ejected safely.
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Old 20th Sep 2016, 20:11
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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
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Old 20th Sep 2016, 20:28
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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.
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Old 20th Sep 2016, 20:32
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I believe this is the first ejection from a two-seat U-2.
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Old 20th Sep 2016, 20:35
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RIP, they do a job that's not often spoken about in a very difficult aircraft to fly.
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Old 20th Sep 2016, 20:57
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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
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Old 20th Sep 2016, 21:21
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Sounds tricky.
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Old 20th Sep 2016, 21:35
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One pilot dead, a second injured in U-2 spy plane crash in rural Northern California - LA Times
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Old 21st Sep 2016, 00:46
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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
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Old 21st Sep 2016, 02:25
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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

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.

Last edited by Airbubba; 21st Sep 2016 at 18:48.
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Old 21st Sep 2016, 06:26
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stay away from the wreck because there was a nuke weapon onboard
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. The A-12 did not "exist" at that time. Site cleaned up in two days.
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Old 21st Sep 2016, 07:02
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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.

Last edited by Haraka; 21st Sep 2016 at 07:12.
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Old 21st Sep 2016, 07:21
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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.
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Old 21st Sep 2016, 08:05
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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.
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