U.S. Spy Plane Pilot Dies in Asia Crash

WaPo ^ | June 22, 2005 | By PATRICK QUINN

[Frank_Discussion]

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- A U.S. Air Force U-2 spy plane has crashed in southwest Asia while returning to its base, killing the pilot, the military said Wednesday. The cause of Tuesday night's crash was under investigation, U.S. Central Command said in a statement. One official said the location of the crash was not released because "host nation sensitivities" were involved. The Central Command's statement used the term "southwest Asia," which can be used as a substitute for describing the Middle East. The pilot was returning to a base from a mission in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. One official said the location of the crash was not released because "host nation sensitivities" were involved. "The specific location is not releasable due to host nation sensitivities," U.S. Air Force Capt. David W. Small, a Central Command spokesman, said in an e-mail when asked for more information. In Washington, Lt. Col. Barry Venable, a Pentagon spokesman, said the plane had completed a mission related to U.S. operations in Afghanistan and crashed as it was returning to its base, the location of which he did not disclose. A U.S. security team was at the site of the crash, he said. American U-2s operate out of a base in the United Arab Emirates, although U.S. military officials refuse to discuss this fact at the UAE's request. The U-2 operates at an altitude of more than 70,000 feet, beyond the range of most surface-to-air missiles. It has been used by American forces for decades. A U-2 was shot down May 1, 1960, over Soviet territory while photographing Soviet missile installations. After parachuting to safety, pilot Francis Gary Powers was captured and later convicted as a spy. He was held for almost two years before being traded for a KGB captive.

[Frank_Discussion]

Crap.

[txroadhawg]

She's an old bird, could have been anything...

[Red Badger]

Wonder why no eject?...........

[Tennessee_Bob]

Depending on where he was in the envelope, he may not have had the chance. Or there could have been a suit failure at altitude, or he may have been fighting it all the way down and lost track of where he was.

[Frank_Discussion]

I know, but I wonder where this occurred...

[Yo-Yo]

Could have lost hydraulic power, and was trying to muscle it in on just mechanical linkage backup. Might have auggered in on final approach.

[GOPJ]

I know, but I wonder where this occurred...

Please, please, not Iran or China...

[Frank_Discussion]

Thanks for the elucidation.

[bvw]

RIP.

[Frank_Discussion]

Aye.

[ErnBatavia]

I remember much later when Powers became a helicopter traffic reporter for Los Angeles radio...he died in a crash when he ran out of fuel; IIRC, "pilot error".

[Red Badger]

did U-2 have hydraulics?......

[Pylot]

At the altitude that the plane operates at there is only a 10 knot difference between the speed at which the airframe comes apart (or exceeds Vne) and the speed at which the plane stalls.

Gary Powers was not shot down. A MIG simply blasted by him and let the turbulence from the MIG send the U-2 out of control. The soviets could never get close with a missile but a MIG on full after burner did the trick!

A lot of things can go wrong at 70,000 feet!

[Dashing Dasher]

380th Air Expeditionary Wing - not the 9th Recon - so - my friends are safe.

Sigh...

Prayers to the piot and family.



WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The pilot of an American U-2 spy plane was killed in a crash in southwest Asia, the military announced Wednesday.

The Air Force has not disclosed the location of the crash or any of the circumstances, but did say it happened Tuesday at 2330 GMT, or 7:30 p.m. ET.

The pilot, a member of the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing, was returning to base after completing a mission in support of Operation Enduring Freedom -- the Afghanistan war -- when the plane crashed.

The U.S. Air Force, in a short written statement, said an investigation would be conducted to determine the cause.

The U-2, a single-seat jet able to fly at high altitudes on surveillance missions, has been flown by the U.S. Air Force for over 50 years.

[Loud Mime]

Aren't the long wings a hazard during landing?

I just have this vision of one side "grounding" and then the rest coming apart.

[ops33]

Could have crashed on landing.

[Dashing Dasher]

When the U2 takes off - there are a set of wheels under each wing tip. These wheels fall away as the airplane takes off. The wing tips are especially low because of the fuel in the wings.

On landing, there is a chase vehicle that helps the pilot by giving percise position information. There is no visibility from the airplane and landings are treacherous.

However, I have not heard of any crashes before.

When doing my Aviation Physiology Training at Beale - I was lucky enough to watch the U2 doing Touch and Go's all afternoon (when I should have been studying).

Thoughts to consider... if there was a problem and the pilot had to land at an unfamiliar base - without the assistance of the chase vehicle - that could have been a contributing factor.

Not many facts available yet.

I know I'll be following up with the guys in the 9th.

[Dashing Dasher]

380th Air Expeditionary Wing

The 380th Air Expeditionary Wing was reactivated at Al Dhafra AB, UAE in early 2002 in support of OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM. The wing flys KC-10s, U-2s and Global Hawk.

Image analysts from the Air Intelligence Agency at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, views imagery taken by a U-2 on light tables. The Mobile Intelligence Processing Element, currently deployed to the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing, is a one-of-a kind wet-film processing mobile facility used by analysts.

380th Air Expeditionary Wing stats

Personnel: About 1,200 active duty military members, Reserve and Air National Guard

Aircraft assigned: KC-135R Stratotankers, KC-10A Extenders and U-2 Dragon Ladies

Mission: Air refueling and reconnaissance

[Yo-Yo]

did U-2 have hydraulics?......

Yup. Kinda hard to lower the gear manually wearing that pressure suit. ;^)