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Science & Technology
F-22s fixed after pilot gets stuck
2006-06-28
Just about any military pilot would kill to get into an F-22 fighter. But one Air Force flier couldn't get out of one.

A jammed canopy kept the pilot at Langley Air Force Base, Va., trapped inside for five hours April 10 before firefighters used a rotary saw to cut him out. Air Force officials said the optically perfect canopy on the $130 million jet will cost about $82,000 to replace.

The Air Force blamed the snafu on too-short screws that had begun to back out of the canopy frame. The offending hardware was inspected in other planes and replaced with longer screws. "This was a rare case that's likely to never happen again," said Dexter Henson, a spokesman for Lockheed Martin, which builds the jets in Marietta. "The technical issue has been resolved."

So far, the stealthy fighters have flown more than 14,000 hours — and Lockheed and Air Force officials say they're meeting or exceeding expectations. The Langley planes are part of the Air Force's first front-line F-22 squadron.
Posted by:Jesing Ebbease3087

#12  My brother, the Major, once got as angry as I've ever seen him when he told me about the screwdriver he'd picked off the runway t his base. FOD stands for both Forign Object Damage and Finger of Death, you know.
Posted by: Eric Jablow   2006-06-28 18:28  

#11  Air Force officials said the optically perfect canopy on the $130 million jet will cost about $82,000 to replace.

I'm just wondering if we could maybe, possibly get a 99% optically perfect canopy for about $2,000.

Just wonderin', that's all.
Posted by: Parabellum   2006-06-28 18:05  

#10  It should be, after what Sears did for Patton......

And, of course, he got in trouble for it.
Posted by: anonymous2u   2006-06-28 16:21  

#9  
#8. Is that a Sears and Roebuck crowbar?

-M
Posted by: Manolo   2006-06-28 15:55  

#8  Don't leave base without it...
Posted by: DanNY   2006-06-28 14:27  

#7  Disappointed in all you guys for overlooking the obvious 2fer: "...too-short screws that had begun to back out of the canopy frame." the USAF admits it has a screw loose.
And the USAF has short screws. Never heard the Navy say that. (grin)
and as an added no-cost bonus, it is kind of telling that this incident is described as a 'snafu.' De-acronymized, it means: 'Situation Normal, All F#$%ed Up."
but the picture is pretty anyway.
Posted by: USN, ret.   2006-06-28 14:21  

#6  I have to wonder if the ejection seat would have worked.
Posted by: Chuck Simmins   2006-06-28 13:57  

#5  I think I'd want a note from the President.
Posted by: Seafarious   2006-06-28 12:26  

#4  I wouldn't want to cut it either, but imagine being able to tell the story.
Posted by: Mike N.   2006-06-28 12:10  

#3  ...A good friend of mine is still at Langley and had some interesting commentary on this when it happened. FWIW, there was never any question that if they had to cut the pilot out they would do so, but obviously they wanted to try every option first. The one I wouldn't wanted to have answered for was the FOD (Foreign Object Damage) incident a couple months ago where the F-22 picked up a chunk of concrete and wiped out one engine.

Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski   2006-06-28 12:07  

#2  Imagine the sense of reluctance in having to first touch that saw to that canopy. I think I'd want a signed note from a general first.
Posted by: Darrell   2006-06-28 11:38  

#1  When the manual calls for 3" screws, there is a REASON, damnit!
Posted by: DarthVader   2006-06-28 11:38  

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