U-2 plane crashes. Pilot ejected.

a reply to: Zaphod58

That's very not good indeed.
There was a photo of one of the chutes on the ground. Can't see much more than that though.
Does the TU-2S have three chutes? There were reports that all three deployed successfully. Hopefully that means there will be more Information that can be recovered regarding what happened.
Oh gosh, I didn't even think about certain classified substances that got so much attention back in 1996 at groom lake.
I hope those crews got warned to put on some masks before they headed in.

a reply to: HomeyKXTA

They can eject equipment apparently, although I've never heard of that before.

There's a rumor, but ONLY a rumor, that one pilot didn't make it, and one was life flighted. That is NOT confirmed at this time.

a reply to: Zaphod58

I didn't know training was over the buttes, I always thought testing was usually done more towards the east of BAB?
This is probably the only time I'm hoping that your rumor is wrong, and everyone got out okay.
I was just watching a helicopter that just booked it to Beale.
Would they medevac to base?
I also didn't pick up on this story until around 10.30

a reply to: HomeyKXTA

It's not clear what portion of the flight they were on at the time they went down. They could have been on departure, or coming back.

ETA: They're now saying they had just taken off when it happened.

I'm hoping the rumor is wrong too, but it's been too long without word on their condition. Four hours, after a land ejection, near the base, is not a good sign at all.

a reply to: Zaphod58

When I saw them doing touch and go's a few months ago, they kept their flight patterns pretty tight around base, based on that, and the location of the crash, this to me does not sound like it was touch & go training. But I know that you know alot more about touch & go procedures there, Zaphod.
Unless they tried to keep the bird up before ejecting.
Many questions that I'm sure will take some time before they can be answered.
PS: multiple engines being released from the incident. Sounds like things are being well suppressed.

a reply to: HomeyKXTA

If they were just taking off, then they'd be heading out in a pretty straight line, until they got some altitude under them. When we launched them from Hickam, they'd go in a straight line, then when they got up around 10-15,000 do a 180, and keep climbing. Of course, being a U-2, that took like 5 seconds.

a reply to: Zaphod58

m.kcra.com...
Reported video of the crash.

a reply to: HomeyKXTA

Pic of the wreckage matches them going in vertically.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Saw a local news report that someone/thing was lifted from a canyon via CHP helicopter. The helicopter then touched down, switched off its engines, but there was no urgency from any EMT/fire crews to approach said Helo

a reply to: HomeyKXTA

My general rule of thumb is anything over about an hour, two tops, with no update on crew, they usually didn't make it.

Looks like they stalled on climb, and lost control.

One dead, the other is injured. The extent of their injuries hasn't been announced.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Sending my thoughts to them & their loved ones, as well as the whole 9th RW and the 1st. Lot of history behind this unit.
If the crash occurred from something besides human error, would they ground the entire U-2 fleet? Or Just the four remaining TU-2S?

First and foremost out thoughts and prayers go out to the lost pilot and his or her family.

The video referenced above shows a bit of smoke in the picture, could that be from the ejection or could it have flamed out?

The airframe looked intact on the way down which would point to a stall or flameout but the video quality makes it hard to be sure either way.

Why would you want to have a chute on sensitive equipment? I would want it to be at the very least damaged in the fall not be easily recovered in the event hostile forces capture it. Granted its been decades since the U-2 was flown over contested airspace.....

a reply to: FredT

Especially if it's a designated trainer. I found that odd as well.
Could the smoke plume be from the moment the pilots ejected?

a reply to: FredT

There were only two chutes in the video. They were mistaken.

a reply to: HomeyKXTA

No, they'll inspect them to find if there's another issue but that's about it.

a reply to: Zaphod58

It looks like the reports of a third chute are being circulated just by witness reports and the video, both from a single local news source, KCRA, with other reporting sources quoting them.

"Witnesses told KCRA's Mike Luery that they saw two parachutes carrying people and a third carrying equipment."

This comes 20 years after my childhood friend Capt. Randy Roby put his U2 into a parking lot in Orroville Ca., before ejecting too late. I was in Orroville a couple of days afer the crash but had no idea it was my friend until I returned home.

a reply to: HomeyKXTA

That's why I generally take witness statements with a grain of salt if not outright ignoring them.

a reply to: FredT

Decades?

Why still train with them then if they don't still run highly confidential missions over any target? What a waste of money if you are right.