Lori Townsend, APRN – Anchorage
The Air Force has grounded its entire fleet of F-22 fighter jets because of concerns over the jet’s oxygen supply system.
Captain Jennifer Ferrau, with Air Combat Command at Langley Air Force base says the stand down was ordered because of concerns over pilot reports of hypoxia or difficulty breathing problems.
Last November, an F-22 that had taken off from joint base Elmendorf-Richardson crashed about 100 miles north of Anchorage. The pilot Captain Jeffrey Haney was killed. Captain Ferrau says it’s not yet known if the oxygen system problems may have been the cause of the Alaska crash.
She says there are a total of 158 F-22 raptors at bases in Alaska, Virginia and New Mexico. The stand down was ordered May 3. It’s not known how long the jets will be grounded.
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