Priorities
Two more F-22 oxygen incidents
Jul 10 2012
There have been more safety incidents involving oxygen deprivation of pilots of the stealth F-22 Raptor. Last Friday, an F-22 pilot in Hawaii declared an in-flight emergency – two weeks after a Virginia-based F-22 pilot apparently suffered a similar oxygen deprivation emergency.
Senator Warner and Representative Adam Kinzinger (R-IL-11) are again calling for answers from the Air Force.
Hugh Lessig at the Newport News Daily Press reports:
For months now, some Raptor pilots have reported feeling dizzy or disoriented in the cockpit, which is a symptom of oxygen deprivation or hypoxia. An Air Force investigative panel first focused on the high-tech oxygen system. Last month, it pointed to the high-pressure vest as a possible culprit. The vest was found to be unreliable in some cases, and it could have restricted pilots' airflow.
However, two incidents have occurred since pilots have been ordered to stop wearing the vest.
Senator Warner and Representative Kinzinger released a letter they sent to the Air Force today asking for further information about the recent incidents, as well as information about the Air Force effort to determine if it’s a problem with the pilot flight suits or the onboard oxygen generation system.
"I have concerns about the Air Force's ability to get to the bottom of this," Senator Warner said today. “This seems like a never-ending saga."