F-22 Raptor 5th Generation Stealth Fighter

F-22 aircraft overdue in reporting.

11/17/2010 - JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON -- An Air Force F-22 assigned to the 3rd Wing at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, lost contact with air traffic control at 7:40 p.m. Alaska time today while on a routine training mission.

A search is underway.

More information will be released as it becomes available.

Re: F-22 aircraft overdue in reporting.



According to NBC News:

The advanced stealth fighter jet was about 90 miles northeast of Elmendorf Air Force Base when it “dropped off the radar.”

There was no mayday or any other communication from the pilot that would have indicated the plane was in trouble, the officials told NBC News. There have been no distress calls from the pilot since the plane went missing

U.S. military helicopters and at least one C-130 have so far failed to turn up any sign of the missing fighter jet.

Steve Trimble over at the Flight Global notes that this is the second F-22 loss in little over a year, and third overall, bringing the total number of jets that will ultimately be fielded to 185, unless more are built.

Hope the pilot got out alright.



Read more:
Defense.org

Re: F-22 aircraft overdue in reporting.

They are already assuming it crashed? Not a good sign if thats the case, as you would expect the pilot to phone in if he crashed and survived...

Was the plane flying solo? I thought it was customary to have a wingman?

Also, how far was he from the Russian boarder when he 'dropped off the radar' (I assume thats speaking figuratively?)?

Wouldn't that be a moral dilemma for you Americans - would you rather the plane crashed and the pilot was lost, or for him to be alive and well but a traitor living it big in Mother Russia?

Re: F-22 aircraft overdue in reporting.

Already the speculation surrounding this news is rife.This is more fuel for the 'conspiracy' but lets keep in mind a life or more could be lost but i hope not.I guess the reason for it being where it was is explained below >



NORAD planes to train in Alaska
Juneau Empire
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON - The North American Aerospace Defense Command is planning training exercises this week in southwest Alaska.

The training is scheduled for Wednesday. Officials say NORAD's geographical component, the Alaskan NORAD Region, also will take part in the training to practice interception and identification procedures.

NORAD is a joint U.S.-Canadian command that patrols the skies over North America. It is based at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado.

Didn't want to create an entirely new thread.

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.

Click to expand...

Other articles have suggested the last known whereabouts of the F-22 was Cantwell, which is a bit north of Anchorage.

Weather and the mountainous terrain probably suggests a crash, but is it possible (although unlikely) that the pilot could have flown the aircraft to Russia in a *wink wink* "sale"?

Yeah, you're right. Probably not...

Re: F-22 aircraft overdue in reporting.

maybe the fighter has already entered to Russia, becaurse it is steathy, there are no any radar can detect it's track, the Pilot being bought at high prices?

:nana:

Re: F-22 aircraft overdue in reporting.

Threads merged. No need for two F-22 threads in our forum.

maozedong said:

maybe the fighter has already entered to Russia, becaurse it is steathy, there are no any radar can detect it's track, the Pilot being bought at high prices?

:nana:

Click to expand...

Mao..in the history of the Cold War and since only one USAF or USN or USMC pilot has defected..and one other that we know of was shot down..Francis Gary Powers.

* On 21 may 1967, Major Richard Harwood Pearce, a Bronze Star medal winner in Vietnam who was cleared to handle secret US Army materials, has defected to Cuba in a light plane Cessna 150. Major Pearce granted asylum in Cuba

Click to expand...

Wreckage found:

I guess the pilot didn't survive. RIP.

Is there some reflector that can be deployed or something because how does a stealth fighter drop off radar? Or is this some IFF signal they're talking about?