F-22 crash blamed on pilot error

[JJink]

By Stephen Trimble


<!-- /noindex -->A Lockheed Martin test pilot died in an F-22 Raptor crash on 25 March because he lost control of the aircraft while struggling to maintain consciousness after performing a high-g maneouvre, the US Air Force announced on 31 July.
The pilot, 49-year-old David Cooley, was killed instantly when he ejected at 1,188m (3,900ft), or only 1.49 seconds before the Lockheed-made jet struck the ground digging a 6.1m crater, according to the accident investigation board's (AIB) report.

Cooley ejected with the Raptor still in a steep dive at Mach 1.3. At that speed, the F-22 exceeded the survivable limit by about 165kts for the advanced concept ejection seat (ACES) II, the report said.

While gathering data for a captive carriage test of an undisclosed weapon, Cooley performed the same high-g maneouvre three times in a row. Upon the third manoeuvre, Cooley experienced a physiological reaction known as "almost g-induced loss of consciousness" or A-LOC.

Cooley appeared to remain conscious throughout the flight, but during four critical seconds he lost the ability pull out of a high-g dive.
By the time Cooley recovered from A-LOC, the aircraft was in an extremely steep, supersonic dive and at 4,267m mean sea level.

"Within seconds, he found himself in an unrecoverable aircraft attitude," wrote Maj Gen David Eidsaune, the AIB president.

The USAF investigation also determined that the F-22 and all of its systems had been maintained properly and were not factors in the crash.

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2009/07/31/330479/f-22-crash-blamed-on-pilot-error.html

RIP

 

[darrenf]

What's with all the smileys?

Very sad. RIP

 

[at1024]

I took an aircraft accident investigation class at riddle and the human body can take up to 45G's front/back, 20G's side/side, and 15G's up/down

 

[JJink]

What's with all the smileys?

Very sad. RIP

I don't know, i don't see them. I gonna edit just in case.

 

[jynxyjoe]

I don't know, i don't see them. I gonna edit just in case.

It seems like it has something to do with ur pasting. just guessing.

 

[MikeD]

It seems like it has something to do with ur pasting. just guessing.

Yes. Checking the paste, there were code symbols that turn into emoticons here. Should be corrected now.

 

[JJink]

Thanks guys I had no idea………..smileys was the last thing I want it on this thread.

as far as I am concerned he was a hero pushing the envelope………..to me this is what flight test is all about and there are always risks. I wouldn’t classify it as purely Pilot Error.

Many future F-22 pilots will learn from this.

RIP David Cooley.

 

[jynxyjoe]

Thanks guys I had no idea………..smileys was the last thing I want it on this thread.<o></o>
<o></o>

as far as I am concerned he was a hero pushing the envelope………..to me this is what flight test is all about and there are always risks. I wouldn’t classify it as purely Pilot Error.<o></o>
<o></o>

Many future F-22 pilots will learn from this.<o></o>

RIP David Cooley. <o></o>
<o></o>

Hmm. It's the enter key doing it I guess.

 

[JJink]

Thanks guys I had no idea………..smileys was the last thing I want it on this thread.

as far as I am concerned he was a hero pushing the envelope………..to me this is what flight test is all about and there are always risks. I wouldn’t classify it as purely Pilot Error.

Many future F-22 pilots will learn from this.

RIP David Cooley.
.

Edited (x2) for stealth emoticons. Thanks jynxyjoe

 

[aloft]

I took an aircraft accident investigation class at riddle and the human body can take up to 45G's front/back, 20G's side/side, and 15G's up/down

Those may be the structural limits--i.e., above that, and organs start to be destroyed--but no human can retain consciousness under such loads.

Do a YouTube search on "Centrifuge ride" sometime...some of them are pretty comical.

Just a guess, but it sounds like Cooley was killed by the high-speed airflow or the seat not being able to arrest the speed prior to impacting the ground.

 

[thehobbit]

The pilot, 49-year-old David Cooley, was killed instantly when he ejected at 1,188m (3,900ft), or only 1.49 seconds before the Lockheed-made jet struck the ground digging a 6.1m crater, according to the accident investigation board's (AIB) report.

This irks me a little bit, by the time I finish my college bachelors degree I will be 30 or 31. I won't be able to come back into the airforce as a pilot because the airforce limit is 29 or 30. I would be to old, yet this guy who was 49 could still handle the stresses of being a test pilot. I know that you incur a 10 year commitment when you join for the opportunity to go to UPT as a pilot. If i joined at 31 with 4 prior service I could retire by the time I'm 47. I understand why they have age limits but this article to me shows that a person can handle the stresses of flight at an older age.

On another note 3900ft in one and a half seconds til impact, that's moving.

 

[bunk22]

This irks me a little bit, by the time I finish my college bachelors degree I will be 30 or 31. I won't be able to come back into the airforce as a pilot because the airforce limit is 29 or 30. I would be to old, yet this guy who was 49 could still handle the stresses of being a test pilot. I know that you incur a 10 year commitment when you join for the opportunity to go to UPT as a pilot. If i joined at 31 with 4 prior service I could retire by the time I'm 47. I understand why they have age limits but this article to me shows that a person can handle the stresses of flight at an older age.

On another note 3900ft in one and a half seconds til impact, that's moving.

This pilot probably started in his mid 20's like the majority of military aviators do and thus his experience level would far exceed if you were to start at this point. Not saying you couldn't do it however....if the rules were not in place of course.

Most mishaps are pilot error with the military averaging around 75-80% of all mishaps being pilot error. I think the civlian world (GA) is slightly higher.

 

[thehobbit]

This pilot probably started in his mid 20's like the majority of military aviators do and thus his experience level would far exceed if you were to start at this point. Not saying you couldn't do it however....if the rules were not in place of course.

Most mishaps are pilot error with the military averaging around 75-80% of all mishaps being pilot error. I think the civlian world (GA) is slightly higher.

I'm not saying that I could, but I would like to be disqualified by a flight physical rather than by age. I understand the earlier you start the more you are going to be able to do later, but if you don't intend to fly til retirement what does it matter when you start, just as long as the military gets their 10 years from you.

 

[aloft]

I understand why they have age limits but this article to me shows that a person can handle the stresses of flight at an older age.

Actually, it demonstrates quite the opposite.

 

[Socal321]

I took an aircraft accident investigation class at riddle and the human body can take up to 45G's front/back, 20G's side/side, and 15G's up/down

Huh?

By the way, was that 800 bucks per unit??

 

[falconvalley]

I was under the impression that 18g's was about all the body could take.

 

[Prom]

Depends on the angle. 18G's straight down would compress the spine and cause serious damage, but acceleration or decelleration such as a car crash can easily exceed 20G, and as I recall the airforce did human testing on rocket sleds beyond 40G's

Anyway with only 1.5 seconds I'm sure the seat didnt have enough time to slow below mach before it impacted and exceeding the speed limitations for ejection is not pretty from what I hear, my hat goes off to him and his family.