The Department of Defense Inspector General levied harsh criticisms against the Air Force after completing an investigation of the Air Force’s handling of the November 2010 F-22 crash that took the life of pilot Capt Jeff Haney:

An Air Force investigation into a fatal F-22 crash that blamed the pilot “was not supported by the facts” and failed to sufficiently analyze how oxygen problems contributed to the crash, the Defense Department Inspector General said…

The IG found that “the AIB Statement of Opinion regarding the cause of the mishap was not supported by the facts within the AIB report…

The DoD IG…said that the Air Force did not exhaust all investigative leads and reiterated that the Air Force failed to follow its own AFI in investigating the crash.

The initial Air Force report said pilot error caused the crash, though then-Chief of Staff Gen Schwartz disputed that characterization in testimony to Congress.

Haney’s widow filed a lawsuit against the manufacturers of the aircraft last year — right around the same time two F-22 pilots sought whistleblower status over the aircraft’s safety record, and around the same time the IG investigation of the Air Force’s own investigation was announced.  The lawsuit was settled.

Also at the Stars and Stripes.

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