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F-22A Crashes; AF on Tenterhooks

By Colin Clark Wednesday, March 25th, 2009 7:27 pm
Posted in Air

The first F-22 has crashed since the plane was declared operational, sending shivers through the Air Force at a time when the fate of the program hangs in the balance. Sadly, the pilot has been confirmed dead. The crash occurred about 35 miles from Edwards Air Force Base at 3:10 pm EST.

While it is not the most expensive aircraft to crash and burn, it is certainly the most expensive fighter to ever crash, at roughly $150 million a copy.

As one clear sign of the service’s sensitivity, the Air Force congressional liaison office sent out a notice to staff and lawmakers about the crash within two hours of its happening, promising to update lawmakers and staff as soon any details were known.

No other F-22s have crashed since December 2004, when a pilot safely ejected during a test flight, so it does not seem likely there are structural or software issues at play, but with so few details known about the crash it is impossible to tell.

According to the local Tehachapi News, the base did receive a distress call from the pilot before the plane went down.

We’ve got some very well informed readers who might be able to update us on the fate of the pilot and on the aircraft. Post away or send me an email if you prefer.

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	George March 26th, 2009 at 12:00 am I don’t know the specific details of what happened in this case, but from what I do know, the testing of aircraft at Edwards tends to put the aircraft and their pilots to and often beyond their limits. Crashes there are, I don’t want to say common, but they are part of the equation. If you want something to go wrong with an aircraft, the right place for it to happen is during testing. I think we’ve all grown a little bit too complacent with aviation as it’s become highly computerized, but trust me fellas, the F-22 isn’t a video game. It is a very complex aircraft with a very complex mission.
	blago21 March 26th, 2009 at 2:34 am so will they like buy a replacement for this or are we down to 182
	Io205 March 26th, 2009 at 5:11 am Sad news, my Condolences. Io from The Netherlands
	Slowboy March 26th, 2009 at 8:34 am $150 Mil a copy? Who cares!! We can never recoup the loss of a life. My condolenses to the pilots family.
	Recon-Team March 26th, 2009 at 2:16 pm Reportedly this was a test flight, and the pilot was a Mr. David Cooley. What was being tested is unknown. May God welcome Mr. Cooley into his kingdom and aid his family during their time of need.
	Pug Mahone March 26th, 2009 at 7:23 pm This test aircraft was supposedly wired to collect a lot of telemetry data, I hope somebody had the computers running. Vaya con Dios, Mr. Cooley.
	bob March 27th, 2009 at 8:16 am Well guys… being a test pilot is as dangerous as it gets, it always has! My condolences to the family. Mr. Cooley was prolly doing what he loved, and if i had a choice on the way i went out… it would be doing something i loved! Toast one up for Mr. Cooley.
	Chief Houston March 29th, 2009 at 2:02 pm Without people like Mr. Cooley, we would never push the envelope. God bless him and his family! To those that live on the edge so that your brothers may live, God Bless!