:: Edwards: Avoid F-22A crash recovery area ::

| Thursday September 9, 2010

Edwards: Avoid F-22A crash recovery area

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Air Force officials are asking the public to refrain from entering the F-22A crash recovery site northeast of Edwards Air Force Base.

30-03-2009 - EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- At 10 a.m. March 25, an F-22A crashed about 35 miles northeast of the base, killing David Cooley, a Lockheed Martin test pilot. A board of Air Force officers is investigating the cause of the crash, while a team from Edwards Air Force Base is working to recover the aircraft and reclamate the crash scene.

The F-22A contains materials that, when damaged, may pose health risks. The aircraft recovery team working in the area is specially equipped and trained to handle those materials.

The recovery area is concentrated in three washes that extend 10 miles east of Hoffman Road from the Fremont Peak Road, south to Lockhart Road, in San Bernardino County. The area is popular with ATV and dirt bike riders, especially on the weekends.

Edwards officials ask the public to stay out of the area until it is deemed safe for their use. The 95th Security Forces Squadron has deployed a security team around the area, and large warning signs are placed around the perimeter. Officials estimate the recovery operations will continue through late April.

"The work we're doing there serves to not only tell us why the crash occurred, but also allows us to return the area as close to its natural state as is possible," said Col. Nancy Reeves-Flores, 95th Air Base Wing vice commander. "We cannot do this important job without the knowledge and support of our neighbors in the Antelope Valley, and we ask for their patience and understanding as we move forward."

Those with questions about the recovery operations, or who have information on the crash, are encouraged to contact the Edwards Public Affairs Office at (661) 275-9917or (661) 277-3511.
They may also contact Edwards Air Force Base Command Post at (661) 277-3040.

Checkout the area with Google Streetview

Source: AF.mil
Photo: f-22raptor.com / google maps

COMMENTS:

What does the airforce expect if they cover up the whole thing? People want to know what happened, so they take a look themselves.

Dirk | posted on Mar 30, 2009 @ 13:36

some parts of the raptor are highly volitile, gives them the perfic excuse not to let anybody see the reckage

Brandon | posted on Mar 31, 2009 @ 08:02

There's a lot less volitile stuff than there is TOP SECRET stuff. That's why they don't want people around there, and you'd probably get shot if you get too close.

Ed | posted on Mar 31, 2009 @ 23:18

top secret my .. I am edwards commanding officer and i reckon you should let us finish our job and forget that this happened.

ed | posted on Apr 01, 2009 @ 11:09

It would be nice to know what he was doing just prior to the crash - Departure from controlled flight? High G maneuvers?
Supersonic flight? Stalls? Emergency Procedure Practice????

I would guess a high speed high G graveyard spiral that blacked him out or pinned him down so hard he couldn't eject.

Jay | posted on Apr 02, 2009 @ 03:23

what could happen to billion dollar jet capable of flying on its own .

Saumy | posted on Apr 03, 2009 @ 16:04

ed, if you're commanding officer at Edwards what happened to Major General David J. Eichhorn? All of a sudden did he go away? I agree people should stay away and let them get the job done so we can find out what actually happened so we can fix it. Maybe it will save a life in the future. Please don't pretend to be someone you're not.

Ed S. | posted on Apr 07, 2009 @ 17:30

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