Mark R. Warner
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"The safety of these pilots and our military communities is paramount, and it is imperative that the Air Force allows pilots and flight surgeons to express their views without a threat of reprisals." - Senator Mark Warner |
Since May, Senator Warner and Representative Adam Kinzinger (R-IL-11) have been calling on the Air Force to determine why some pilots of the F-22 Raptor have experienced dangerous incidents of oxygen deprivation.
In July, Senator Warner and Representative Kinzinger reported that there have been more safety incidents involving oxygen deprivation of pilots of the stealth F-22 Raptor. An F-22 pilot in Hawaii declared an in-flight emergency – two weeks after a Virginia-based F-22 pilot apparently suffered a similar oxygen deprivation emergency.
Senator Warner and Representative Kinzinger released new information in June that revealed significantly higher rates of oxygen-deprivation incidents reported by F-22 Raptor pilots than previously disclosed, and more widespread concerns about the impact and use of a charcoal breathing filter recently ordered removed from the aircraft.
On May 15, Senator Warner and Representative Kinzinger held a media conference call following the Pentagon's announcement that U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta instructed the Air Force to restrict F-22 flight activities. Secretary Panetta also instructed USAF to work with NASA and the Navy to find solutions to F-22 oxygen-deprivation issues.
Senator Warner and Representative Kinzinger requested additional information from the U.S. Secretary of the Air Force in May to further determine the scope of safety concerns raised by several pilots of the USAF F-22 Raptor.