{"id":20040,"date":"2018-04-16T21:40:27","date_gmt":"2018-04-16T21:40:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2018\/04\/16\/report-air-force-f-22-skids-on-its-belly-during-botched-takeoff\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T20:34:07","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T20:34:07","slug":"report-air-force-f-22-skids-on-its-belly-during-botched-takeoff","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/2018\/04\/16\/report-air-force-f-22-skids-on-its-belly-during-botched-takeoff\/","title":{"rendered":"Air Force F-22 skids on its belly during botched takeoff"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This story has been updated with comments from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n

An F-22A Raptor from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson skidded on its belly during a botched takeoff at Naval Air Station Fallon in Nevada Friday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The mishap was originally reported on The Drive<\/a> and confirmed by Elmendorf in a statement Tuesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Master Sgt. Joshua Jasper, a spokesman for the 673rd Air Base Wing at Elmendorf, said in the email that the Raptor was from the 90th Fighter Squadron in the 3rd Wing at the Alaskan base. It was at Fallon to participate in a training exercise with the Navy, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The F-22 \u201cskidded to a stop on the runway of NAS Fallon in Nevada, shortly after takeoff,\u201d Jasper said. \u201cThe pilot egressed the aircraft safely.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Drive reported Saturday that the mishap<\/a> possibly took place when the Raptor was taking off and retracted its landing gear too early, causing it to slam down on the runway and skid to a stop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
The F-22 at Naval Air Station Fallon in Nevada being lifted off its belly by a crane. (From Air Force amn\/nco\/snco)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Jasper confirmed that the Raptor was later hoisted to a position where the landing gear could be extended and locked, and then towed to a position where the amount of damage and necessary repairs could be evaluated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The unofficial Facebook page Air Force amn\/nco\/snco<\/a> posted pictures of the aftermath of the mishap<\/a> and the plane being hoisted, and quoted an unnamed source as saying the Raptor\u2019s left engine flamed out during takeoff, and that the pilot raised the gear in the air shortly before realizing the engine was dead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jasper said that the incident is still under investigation to find out what caused it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is not known at this time whether a landing gear, engine malfunction, or any other mechanical issue were factors in the incident,\u201d Jasper said. \u201cMore details may be released as they become available.\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The incident comes at a time when increasing attention is being paid to the military\u2019s growing rate of aviation mishaps<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Military Times investigation found that manned warplane accidents have spiked almost 40 percent since 2013, when the budget cuts required under sequestration took effect.<\/p>\n\n\n\t