The Air Force said an F-22A fighter from Edwards AFB, Calif., crashed yesterday morning and the condition of the sole pilot was unknown as Defense Daily went to press.
The crash occurred about 10 a.m. approximately 35 miles northeast of the base while on a test mission, the service statement said.
A board of officers will investigate the accident.
This is the second time an F-22 has crashed. The first one was during the aircraft’s test and evaluation period in December 2004, also at Edwards, during which the pilot ejected safely (Defense Daily, June 16, 2005).
The F-22 Raptor, produced by Lockheed Martin [LMT], is the Air Force’s newest fighter aircraft. The service has 134 of the aircraft in its inventory.
The Air Force has ordered 183 aircraft and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has hesitated to support buying more than four additional F-22s in an upcoming budget supplemental.
Lockheed Martin has warned that its F-22 line will soon close without additional orders.