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A $201M maintenance error: Air Force releases cause of F-22 crash at Eglin AFB in 2020
Jim Thompson
Northwest Florida Daily News

EGLIN AFB — Last year's crash of an F-22 Raptor fighter jet on the Eglin Air Force Base reservation has been traced to "a maintenance error made after the aircraft was washed, which impacted control inputs transmitted to the aircraft," according to a Wednesday email from the Air Force's Air Combat Command.

The F-22, assigned to the 43rd Fighter Squadron of the 325th Fighter Wing, crashed on the morning of May 15, 2020, about 12 miles northeast of the main section of Eglin during what the Air Force described as a routine training mission.

The pilot ejected safely and there were no injuries on the ground, but the aircraft, valued at $201 million, was destroyed. Parts of the 325th Fighter Wing were moved to Eglin from nearby Tyndall AFB in 2018 as Hurricane Michael bore down on Panama City and eventually laid waste to the installation.

From 2020: Eglin AFB releases additional information on Friday F-22 crash


Due to what an Air Combat Command spokeswoman on Wednesday called "operational security concerns," an Accident Investigation Board report, which would have been subject to public release, was not pursued in connection with the F-22 crash. "Operational security" is a risk management process designed to keep sensitive information from falling into unintended hands.

Instead, the spokeswoman said the crash was probed through a commander-directed investigation and a Safety Investigation Board. Neither of those reports are subject to public release, but are intended for internal Air Force use.

Safety investigation boards typically comprise six to 10 officers and senior enlisted personnel, headed by a colonel. Accident investigation boards, on the other hand, are headed by a senior pilot and include another pilot along with a “maintenance expert, flight surgeon, judge advocate and any other needed specialists," according to the Air Combat Command website.

From 2020:F-22 Raptor crashes on Eglin reservation; pilot ejects safely

And according to the Office of Inspector General for the Secretary of the Air Force, commander-directed investigations can be used "to investigate systemic (or procedural) problems or to look into matters regarding individual conduct or responsibility."

A single paragraph in Wednesday's email providing what the spokeswoman called key details of the Safety Investigation Board report and the commander-directed investigation, notes that "(u)pon takeoff, the pilot noticed a Flight Control System advisory and elected to continue with takeoff. Shortly after the aircraft became airborne, the pilot began having trouble controlling the aircraft and declared an emergency. While a recovery plan was being coordinated, the pilot continued to have issues with the aircraft and ejected."

Flight control systems comprise the parts of the aircraft that move to change its direction, height and other flight characteristics, and includes the cockpit controls for those aircraft surfaces. The F-22 Raptor is a "fly-by-wire" aircraft, in which the pilot's control inputs are translated electronically to move the jet's flight control surfaces.

An F-22 Raptor (foreground) and an F-35 Lightning II, both like the aircraft that crashed in separate May 2020 incidents at Eglin Air Force Base, fly along the Gulf of Mexico coast.
Air Combat Command will not release any additional information on the crash, according to the command spokeswoman.

The F-22 crash was one of two aircraft crashes that occurred within days of each other in May of last year at Eglin. On the night of May 19, 2020, an F-35 fighter jet from the 58th Fighter Squadron of the Eglin-based 33rd Fighter Wing crashed on landing. As with the F-22 crash, the pilot safely ejected but the aircraft, valued at $176 million, was destroyed.


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Technically, the F-35 crashed as a result of the pilot leaving a "speed hold" feature of the aircraft engaged during landing, a subsequent shallow flight angle that contributed to severe bouncing on the runway, and the pilot's lack of success in getting the aircraft airborne again for a second landing attempt, according to an Accident Investigation Board (AIB) report released late last year.

But the AIB report also cited pilot fatigue, as well as issues with the F-35's oxygen delivery system and the flight information display in the pilot's helmet, along with apparent differences between the F-35 simulator and the actual aircraft, as contributing factors in the crash.

some A1C is feeling like schit about now

I'm very curious about this maintenance error allegedly committed after the aircraft was washed.

I'll make a guess: some compartment is susceptible to collecting moisture and was supposed to have been drained but was not, resulting in an electrical issue. I guess we'll never know, though.

Just how fragile are those things, anyway? Now I'm afraid to wash my pickup.

knowing the AF, they have a checklist for everything, including finishing all the checklists. either somebody got complacent or they're just looking for a scapegoat to explain how a 200m aircraft can get taken down with a hose.

Looks like a report that says nothing.

It says that in the report for opsec reasons!

Had a problem like that when I washed the engine bay of my 2002 (then new) Malibu. Didn’t cost me $201M though.

Got to be careful with those power washers.

Someone probably left a pitot tube or static port covered after the wash, or debris got into the port and fudged up the computer input.

I'm guessing a short was created by the water in a cannon plug and the receiver at the control surface did not get the proper input.

kwg

hosed!

It happens...

I thought the same thing, but I bet he had his diversity training

and if you know how they do paperwork, you know that they know exactly who did or didn't do something. lot of responsibility placed on very young men and women. but thats a good thing. i had more job responsibility at 22 than i do at 59.

Do you mean an Airman E-2 who just got his pay docked until it's paid for?

A1C hell...
I wuz an E5 and had to assist the phase team in washing my airplane. Sons of b!tches saved the white cap just for me. The only savings grace was the distance those water nozzles could spray, especially when you're up in a cheerypicker. 🤣

Sounds like a cover story

At least it was clean when it crashed.

This is why Biden said you’d need F15s (rather than F22s) & nukes to take on the government