Category Archives: Fighter Pilot

Air Force Reports Cause of Edwards F-22A Crash

Despite a prior Washington Post article, the Accident Investigation report released by the Air Force indicates that the reason for the F-22A crash in March was the affects of the high-g environment.  While he did not G-LOC, the report basically says that he was trying very hard not to and he was only partially successful.

This mishap was caused by the [pilot’s] adverse physiological reaction to high acceleration forces and subsequent loss of situational awareness…The [pilot] channelized his attention to fight off the effects of high g-forces…[and] entered an extreme nose down, high-speed attitude from which safe recovery was not possible…

The Accident Investigation Board report can be read here (pdf) in its entirety.  Other sites have translated this accident as being caused by “A-LOC” or by “pilot error.”

Fighter Pilot Recovered from Iraq 18 Years Later

Update: Speicher has previously been described by his family as “a true leader, a devout Christian and a role model.”  He was a father to a then-3 and 1 year old, and also a Sunday School teacher at his Lake Shore United Methodist church in Jacksonville, FL.  His widow subsequently married another fighter pilot and friend of Scott Speicher.  Speicher has also been promoted twice since his shootdown, and is now a Captain (USN).

US Navy Lt Cmdr Michael Scott “Spike” Speicher, an F/A-18 pilot, was shot down over Iraq on 17 January 1991, during Operation Desert Storm.

Various news outlets have covered the US military’s announcement that Speicher’s remains have been recovered, following leads from local Iraqis.  All indications are that he was buried near his aircraft crash location, leading to the conclusion that he was killed when he was shot down.

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How much do YOU get paid?

How much do US Air Force fighter pilots get paid?

Perhaps as a result of the current economy, the pay scale of US military members (and pilots, in particular) has become an increasingly frequent question.

Unlike some private corporations, who may keep such information confidential, US government pay packages are public information.  With very little detail, you can actually get a pretty good idea of how much any given Sailor, Soldier, Airmen, or Marine makes on a monthly basis.

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Cause of Edwards F-22A Crash Revealed

As previously discussed, an F-22A Raptor crashed during a test sortie at Edwards AFB, CA, in March of this year.  The test pilot, Lockheed civilian contractor David “Cools” Cooley, perished in the incident.

While an official investigation has not been publicized to date, the Washington Post appears to have been given an answer.  In a marginally-related article on the future of the F-22 program, writer R. Jeffrey Smith notes that Secretary of Defense Robert Gates had been willing to purchase four more F-22s, but only four, to make the total 187.  One was to replace the lost F-22:  Read more

Update: F-16 Pilot Killed in Crash

As previously noted, Captain George Bryan Houghton, a 2002 USAF Academy graduate, was killed in an F-16 crash in Utah.  He was reportedly flying in a four-ship night close air support (CAS) training mission at the time, and he crashed during an attack run.  Night attacks in a CAS scenario can potentially be some of the most challenging–and dangerous–that an F-16 pilot flies.  According to one news report, his unit was preparing for an upcoming deployment to Afghanistan.

Houghton’s family has a military tradition.  One younger brother was injured in an Afghanistan helicopter incident; another is currently at the Air Force Academy.

Houghton’s father said his son “had such a sense of duty to God and county” – and to his two brothers. “If you fought one, you fought them all.”

Houghton “knew it was a dangerous profession he was in. We all did,” his father said.

F-16 Crashes, Pilot Missing

According to news reports, an F-16 from Hill AFB has crashed in Utah.  Reports indicate the Air Force is not in contact with the downed pilot, which regrettably often means the worst.

The crash is the latest of several in the military, two of which have been fatal.  The military fighter pilot profession remains a dangerous one, even in training.

UPDATE: The Air Force announced the pilot had been killed in the crash.

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