Elmendorf F-22 Missing
 

I am hoping for the best.

It appears the plane lost contact with ATC 7:40 pm Alaska time yesterday, it's now been over 10 hours. I'm surprised the major news stations have yet to pick up on this.

Hoping for the best

F-22 aircraft overdue in reporting

Fox has picked it up, but it's just the base press release.

Air Force Fighter Jet Missing in Alaska - FoxNews.com

Missing military jet 'believed to be crashed,' Pentagon says - CNN.com

Washington (CNN) -- An Alaska-based Air Force F-22 that went missing on a training mission is "believed to be crashed," a Pentagon spokesman said Wednesday.

Col. Dave Lapan did not immediately give other details about the situation.

The aircraft lost contact with air traffic control Tuesday evening, officials from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson at Anchorage, Alaska, said Wednesday.

Gary Strasburg, an Air Force spokesman, told CNN that a pilot was in the single-seat aircraft during a routine training mission.

Contact was lost with the F-22 at 7:40 p.m. Alaska time (11:40 p.m. ET) on Tuesday.

Is it common for fighter aircraft to take part in solo training missions?

Could've been a currency hop, maint check flight, 1v0 (go out and explore the handleing max performing the jet), just a good deal go burn gas and G yourself retarded, or a number of other things, instrument currency, shooting approaches, etc. All count as training.

Given the media, the only fact that's probably correct is that the jet is missing.

Here's to hoping the crew is sitting by a camp fire cold and bored waiting to get picked up....

Update
 

Latest USAF news release says the wreckage has been found, but still looking for the pilot. That implies that he at least punched out.

Hope for the best.

Military Finds Wreckage of Air Force Fighter Jet in Alaska - FoxNews.com

Wreckage found.

Who said it was a solo mission? Night sortie in Alaska...throw in mountains, snow on the ground, weather, NVGs, lots of tasks, anything could happen. Flight lead could be 20 miles away before he even knew anyone was missing.

The initial news release was completely vague and made it sound as though no one realized the plane was missing till it "failed to report in" to command post. It was reasonable to assume from the release that the pilot was single ship.

I initially assumed it was a solo mission because of the unknown whereabouts and special equipment the -22 utilizes. I understand the -22 has an intra-flight data link allowing other 22s to share information regarding fuel, weapon status, gps position etc. Someone with more knowledge of this system might be able to enlighten us more. However, this being a night sortie, and these aircraft likely utilizing IFDL under the conditions you noted, I'm curious as to how exactly this aircraft seemingly vanishes. Like you said, anything could of happened. I hate drawing to conclusions with literally no facts, but is it safe to say there is a slight reason to believe this aircraft may of experienced a catastrophic systems failure?

It will be awhile before the facts are out, but it probably seems like an eternity for the pilot waiting to be rescued. I hope he's found a way to stay warm.

Hopes and prayers go out to the pilot and family. Stay warm buddy

The article says it was two-ship, and of course they noticed when he failed to rejoin.

The Elmendorf team has had a hard year, thoughts and prayers to the family.

Air Force Times has some more info. AKANG (176th Rescue Wing) located the wreckage, but no boots on the ground at the scene. still looking for the pilot.

Search for F-22 pilot continues - Air Force News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Air Force Times

No, it is not safe to say.
Night, single seat, single ship, over unlit terrain creates numerous possibilitie.

Winter Survival
 

Hopefully the pilot is curled up in his sleeping bag waiting for rescue.

In the early 1960s a Westover AFB B-52 encountered extreme turbulence while flying a night low level (500') mission in Maine. The vertical tail separated from the aircraft. The Aircraft Commander (AC) ordered bail out.

Downward seats (Nav and Radar) had no chance. The gunner in the tail had no chance. The Copilot sucessfully ejected with a good chute but got hung in a tree unconcious and froze to death. The AC and Electronics Warfare Officer (EWO) ejected as the aircraft was entering the trees.

The AC's chute was blown open by the aircraft impact explosion and he drifted over a hill to a landing. His leg was broken because of ejecting with full rudder deflection. He crawled in his survival kit sleeping bag and awaited rescue.

THE EWO found himself sitting in a snowbank NEAR HIS EJECTION SEAT. His chute never opened. THe seat became a combination sled/snow plow and carved a path down an incline through the trees before he separated from it. He suffer injuries including frostbite.

I was at 99th Bomb Wing party when word came that we had lost an aircraft. A more detailed (and probably correct) version of the accident can be found at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1963_El...ain_B-52_crash

Sometimes the worse crashes are survivable.

Base Home Page, just to stay current.

Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson - Home

Pilot named. It's on the site.

I really pray that he's out making another brew of pine needle tea, building snow men, and trying to stay warm.

A sad ending:
Air Force says pilot died in F-22 crash: Military | adn.com

RIP Raptor bubba

Thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends

Missing F-22 pilot update

11/19/2010 - JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- Air Force officials here announced that search and rescue teams have found conclusive evidence the pilot of the F-22 Raptor missing since the night of Nov. 16 did not survive the crash.

Capt. Jeffrey Haney, assigned to the 3rd Wing's 525th Fighter Squadron, has been missing since the crash, however, a thorough search and rescue operation continued until today.

Captain Haney, from Clarklake, Mich., was commissioned in the U.S. Air Force in August 2003 and has been stationed here since June 2006.

"Based on evidence recovered from the crash site, and after two days of extensive aerial and ground search efforts, we know that Captain Haney did not eject from the aircraft prior to impact," said Col. Jack McMullen, 3rd Wing commander.

A recovery team at the crash site found a part of the ejection seat, along with several life support items that Captain Haney wore during the flight.

"Sadly, we can no longer consider this a search and rescue operation, but must now focus on recovery operations," Colonel McMullen said.

"We are all extremely saddened by the loss of this great American, Airman and friend," the colonel continued. "Captain Haney will be missed by the entire 3rd Wing and the (Joint Base Elmendorf) community.

"Right now, our focus is on Jeff's family," Colonel McMullen said. "We mourn their loss, and they are in our thoughts and prayers. We are doing everything in our power to offer them support and aid them during this time of grief."

The aircraft lost contact with air traffic control at 7:40 p.m. Alaska time, Nov. 16, while on a nighttime training mission. Search and rescue aircraft from the Alaska Air National Guard's 11th Rescue Coordination Center discovered the wreckage of the aircraft Nov. 17 in a remote, rugged area approximately 100 miles north of Anchorage near Denali National Park.

Airmen and Soldiers from the 3rd Wing, the 673nd Air Base Wing and U.S. Army Alaska's 3rd Maneuver Enhancement Brigade converged on the site Nov. 17 and 18 with assistance from the Alaska Air National Guard to continue the search for the pilot and prepare for recovery of the aircraft wreckage.

Recovery operations are currently underway and are expected to last several weeks. Air Force officials are standing up a safety investigation board to determine the cause of the mishap.

The Air Warrior Courage Foundation has set up an education fund for Captain Haney's children. For information, please contact Capt. Tyler Ellison at 551-5250 or via e-mail at [email protected].

Missing F-22 pilot update

RIP

AWCF Donations

Tailwinds Sir............ :( :(

Sad year over in Elmo.