On Sun, 19 Oct 2003 03:29:41 GMT, Mike Marron
wrote:

WASHINGTON One of the Air Force's prized and politically vulnerable
F/A-22 Raptor fighter jets nearly crashed during a recent practice
flight, prompting an investigation, service officials confirm.

The previously unreported incident occurred Sept. 19 near Edwards Air
Force Base, Calif., officials said, when an experienced F-15 pilot
with less than 20 hours in the exotic new F/A-22 attempted a dogfight
maneuver that sent the aircraft plummeting downward in an upside-down
spiral.

The unidentified pilot became disoriented as the $161 million plane,
which is partly built in Fort Worth, plunged more than 10,000 feet
from a beginning altitude of 13,000 to 15,000 feet, a senior Air Force
official told The Dallas Morning News, speaking on condition of
anonymity.

The pilot and plane were saved when he released the controls and the
F/A-22 stopped spiraling, allowing him to regain his bearings, the
official said.

"He pulled out at about 2,800 feet above the ground, not knowing what
had happened to him, declared an emergency" and landed safely at
Edwards, where F/A-22 flight tests are conducted, this official said.
Hmmm. no carefree handling installed yet I presume..

Cheers
John Cook

Any spelling mistakes/grammatic errors are there purely to annoy. All
opinions are mine, not TAFE's however much they beg me for them.

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