The Air Force has released the report of the September 2011 crash of an A-10C Thunderbolt II in Georgia.

According to the report, the mishap aircraft’s stall warning system malfunctioned at 15,000 feet, preventing stall warning tones from functioning properly… Without evidence of additional malfunctions, the mishap pilot continued the FCF.

At 34,000 feet, the mishap aircraft experienced a stall that quickly resulted in dual engine failure. The mishap pilot performed checklist items to recover the aircraft, but without success. The pilot located a controlled bailout area and safely ejected from the aircraft.

The Air Force Times notes the pilot had apparently not been properly trained to deal with high-altitude stalls:

The report faulted training for not putting enough emphasis on high-altitude aircraft- or engine-stall possibilities. Because the pilot hadn’t received the techniques to accomplish high-altitude checks, the report states, he was ill-prepared for the mishap scenario.

The A-10 — generally a low altitude air-to-ground platform — does not often operate in “nose bleed” altitudes, though it apparently does on FCF profiles, as this one was.

A standard toxicology test after the flight revealed the pilot had apparently taken go-pills without apparent authorization, and will likely face sanction as a result.  They were not thought to contribute to the mishap.