6/3/2023 0 Comments No mans sky fleet damaged![]() ![]() In January 2020, the Raptor was mounted on stands in a hangar and stripped of its wire harnesses, struts, and bulkheads. Kevin Fitch, another crew chief with the 3rd AMU. The simulations suggested it was, said Tech. When the aircraft returned to Alaska, the Air Force first had to determine if it was even worth restoring. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Samuel Colvin. Air Force F-22 Raptor tail number AF-07-146, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Nov. Ethan Rentz, 3rd Aircraft Maintenance Unit F-22 crew chiefs rebuild U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Michael Southerland, sitting, Tech. We couldn’t have those panels flapping around or breaking off during transit.” “We removed the wings and vertical stabilizers, and the whole belly of the F-22 because those panels were damaged and burnt. Ethan Rentz, a crew chief with the 3rd Aircraft Maintenance Unit (AMU), said in a 2021 press release. “We took off everything that was damaged and everything that wouldn’t fit dimensionally,” Staff Sgt. Maintainers started by disassembling the jet and shipping it back to Alaska aboard a C-5 Galaxy transport jet-disassembly alone took a month. The board did not specify the exact cost of the mishap, but the recovery process was extensive, with the fighter having to be partially rebuilt in order to reenter service. Immediately after the landing gear retracted, the aircraft “settled” back on the runway with the doors fully closed. The pilot rotated the aircraft-bringing the nose up-at 120 knots, and as the aircraft indicated its wheels were leaving the ground, the pilot retracted the landing gear. The pilot was taking off from Naval Air Station Fallon, Nev., for a TOPGUN graduation exercise when the mishap occurred. “Every aircraft in the fleet is highly valuable for mission success, so returning this one to operational status is a big win for the team.”Īn Accident Investigation Board blamed the 2018 crash on incorrect takeoff and landing data, an inadequate flight brief, and the pilot prematurely retracting the landing gear. ![]() Adam Willeford, the 3rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron senior enlisted leader, said in a press release. “There are only so many F-22s in the inventory,” Chief Master Sgt. ![]() With only 186 Raptors in the entire Air Force inventory, getting just one of the formidable air-to-air fighters back to operations represents a significant achievement for the 3rd Wing at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, where the F-22 is assigned. An Air Force F-22 Raptor flew once again May 4, five years after it suffered extensive damage from a botched takeoff on April 13, 2018. ![]()
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