F-22 Raptor Ends Up On Its Side During Air Guard Exercise (Updated)
The F-22 mishap briefly closed a runway at Hilton Head International Airport during the Air National Guard’s Sentry Savannah war games.
A U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor stealth fighter ended up on its side after suffering an unspecified mishap at Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport in Georgia earlier today.
"An F-22 Raptor participating in exercise Sentry Savannah was involved in an aircraft mishap at approximately 11:30 AM at the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport on May 6, 2024," according to a press release The War Zone obtained from the Georgia Air National Guard's 165th Airlift Wing Public Affairs office. "The incident is currently under investigation. As the investigation continues, updates will be provided."
The Georgia Air National Guard's Air Dominance Center, part of the Georgia Combat Readiness Training Center, hosts the Sentry Savannah exercise every year. This is the Air National Guard's premier counter-air combat exercise for both stealthy 5th generation fighters, including the F-22, and non-stealth 4th generation ones.
The video below shows footage from Sentry Savannah 2022.
A runway at Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport was subsequently closed for approximately 40 minutes, according to The Island Packet newspaper.
Otherwise, details about the incident are limited. The status of the pilot and what unit the F-22 was assigned are unknown at the time of writing. The War Zone has reached out to the Georgia Air National Guard and the Air Force for more information.
A picture that is said to show the aircraft involved in the mishap on runway 10/28 at Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport surrounded by emergency vehicles first emerged on the unofficial Air Force amn/nco/snco Facebook page and is also seen in the social media post below. The aircraft is seen resting on its right side with the canopy open, but its wing on that side does not appear to be touching the ground in the image. This may point to a landing gear failure. Otherwise, it is unclear what damage the jet may have sustained in the course of the mishap, the cause of which is unknown.
The mishap in Georgia today does follow another F-22 suffering a nose gear failure at Kadena Air Base on the Japanese island of Okinawa in April. Details about that incident, which reportedly involved a Raptor belonging to the 19th Fighter Squadron, part of the 15th Wing at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii, are also limited.
The mishap at Kadena was not the first time an F-22 had suffered a landing gear issue in recent years. Other Raptors suffered landing gear failures at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida in 2021 and 2022, and as well at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia in 2020. F-22s have been involved in other accidents in recent years, as well.
The F-22's advanced stealthy design, including its sensitive radar-abording skin, means that repairs following even relatively minor mishaps are often expensive and complex affairs, sometimes costing 10s of millions of dollars and taking years to complete. The Raptor fleet is also small to begin with, meaning that the loss of a single aircraft, even temporarily, can have significant impacts on the overall availability of the type. Dozens of F-22s are not even combat-coded at all.
It remains to be seen just how serious today's F-22 mishap was and how long it might be before that jet returns to the sky.
We will continue to update this story if and when we receive new information.
UPDATE: 6:10 PM EST—
The Georgia Air National Guard's 165th Airlift Wing's Public Affairs office has put out an updated press release on today's F-22 mishap that says the aircraft's pilot was not injured in the incident. It also says the Raptor was assigned to the 71st Fighter Squadron, part of the 1st Fighter Wing at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia. Langley is technically part of Joint Base Langley-Eustis.
The full release is as follows:
An F-22 Raptor participating in exercise Sentry Savannah was involved in an aircraft mishap at approximately 11:30 AM at the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport on May 6, 2024.
One pilot was involved in the mishap. No injuries were sustained.
The aircraft is assigned to the 71st Fighter Squadron, 1st Fighter Wing, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia. The aircraft is at the Air Dominance Center in Savannah, Georgia, taking part in exercise Sentry Savannah.
“Thank you to all the first responders who arrived on scene,” said Col. Stephen Thomas, commander, Air Dominance Center. “Sentry Savannah is all about showcasing readiness and today’s mishap affirmed our Airmen’s ability to respond at a moment’s notice.”
Sentry Savannah will continue as scheduled, with no impacts to future flying operations.
The incident is under investigation.
UPDATE: 5/7/2024—
An air traffic control audio recording has now emerged indicating that the F-22 that suffered the mishap at Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport had reported a brake failure and requested another aircraft attempt to make a visual check. The recording also says that the Raptor subsequently made what is known as an emergency barrier engagement landing using arresting gear installed on the runway.
A post on the Air Dominance Center's Facebook Page on May 5 had highlighted the re-certification of the barrier system specifically "to ensure runway safety in preparation for Sentry Savannah 24."
Contact the author: joe@twz.com
