re: #267 EdDantes

It’s a completely new type of oxygen delivery system.

The F-22 Raptor is designed to feed its pilots air by pulling oxygen from the engine combustion system and filtering out any dangerous fumes or chemicals. Known as on-board oxygen generation, which differs from previous planes’ systems that used air from inside the cockpit as part of the oxygen delivery, the system is meant to allow the planes to fly through noxious or poisonous air without endangering the pilots.

But in addition to the apparent possible leaks in the system, it is also designed so that if there is a catastrophic problem with the engine, the whole system can shut down — leaving the pilot to basically suffocate until he can bring the plane down to breathable air or manually activate the emergency oxygen system tucked into a corner of the cockpit.

That’s what the Air Force said happened to Capt. Jeff Haney just before he crashed his F-22 Raptor in the Alaskan wilderness while on a training mission in November 2010. Even though the plane shut down Haney’s oxygen, an Air Force investigation board found that, among other factors, Haney was to blame for the crash for being too distracted by his inability to breathe.