Senator Mark Warner wants answers about why so many F-22 Raptor pilots are having problems with oxygen deprivation in the air.
In a letter sent to Secretary of the Air Force Michael B. Donley Thursday, the Senator asks very specific questions about the extent of the hypoxia issue.
Warner now wants the branch to launch a confidential survey of pilots and flight surgeons within the next 10 days to determine the scope and frequency of hypoxia cases.
He also recommends the Air Force reach out to NASA and other independent research labs to help in figuring out the root cause and find solutions to make pilots feel more comfortable in the air.
“We fly right over my kids’ school, and where my house is,” said Major Jeremy Gordon, one of the Virginia Air National Guard whistleblowers who came forward to CBS’s 60 Minutes over the weekend. “A pilot not fully in his wits might lose control or hit another air craft right over where we live—that’s my family’s biggest fear.”
Major Gordon, along with Captain Josh Wilson, were the two Virginia Air National Guard whistleblowers that caught the attention of the Senator after their exclusive interview with 60 Minutes aired over the weekend.
The Langley pilots drove from the Peninsula all the way to DC to meet with Senator Warner on Thursday so he could hear first-hand their experiences with the oxygen systems aboard the F-22 Raptors and how it caused them to be woozy, disoriented and ill after flight.
“Several times during flight, I had to exhibit immense concentration on just doing simple things, simple tasks,” said Captain Wilson.
Since April of 2008, the Air Force confirms 25 incidents of pilots reporting oxygen deprivation or showing symptoms of hypoxia.
To put those numbers in perspective, only 200 pilots in the entire country are qualified to fly the F-22.
After months of investigation, the Air Force still doesn’t know if the problem lies with the amount of oxygen that flows, or a toxin that could be in the air supply.
“The effects are insidious. Some pilots will take off, fly and land and not know anything is wrong,” said Major Gordon.
Gordon and Wilson have told the Air Force they will go back to flying now that charcoal filters, they say made the situation worse, have been taken out of the plane.
They want to be considered test cases to help Air Force researchers in future evaluations of the oxygen issues.
Warner issued this statement after meeting with the pilots:
“I have tremendous respect for the military service of Capt. Wilson and Maj. Gordon, and I admire their willingness to step forward under the Military Whistleblower Act to voice their concerns about the safety of this aircraft. The F-22 is a vital piece of the Air Force mission, and we must get better answers about these recurring medical issues experienced by our Raptor pilots and crews. The Air Force, scientists and the air crews themselves must work together to solve this problem, and we need to make sure there is a culture in which others feel safe coming forward.”
To see Senator Warner’s entire letter, click here.
