Air Force Reports on the Cause of F-22 Raptor Unexplained Physiological Incidents, Hypoxia, and Aircraft Oxygen Generation Systems (OBOGS), Air Force and Navy AOG Systems

This ebook reproduces two important Air Force reports on the hypoxia problem which plagued the F-22 Raptor fighter plane.

Process Roadmap: Determining the Cause of F-22 Unexplained Physiological Incidents - U.S. Air Force - The Air Force Scientific Advisory Board's (AFSAB) Quicklook Study on Aircraft Oxygen Generation Systems (OBOGS) has been completed and released. While this study did not determine the root cause(s) for a disproportionally larger rate of unexplained physiological incidents in the F-22 than other fighter type aircraft in the U.S. inventory, it provided processes and procedures to be used in determining the root cause(s) for those incidents. The AFSAB study was the first tier of four in the Air Forces' deliberate effort to find the cause(s) for the F-22's unexplained physiological incidents. The first tier was initiated in April of 2008 with the first reported F-22 physiological incident. Engineers from the F-22 System Program Office, the prime contractor for the F-22, Lockheed Martin, and its two primary subcontractors responsible for the F-22's Life Support System, Boeing and Honeywell, initiated the Root Cause and Correction Analysis process which worked in collaboration with the Air Force safety investigation process to determine the root cause(s) behind reported incidents. Ultimately, causes were determined for two of the 14 incidents reported between April of 2008 and May of 2011. The remaining twelve cases represented a rate of more than ten times the Air Force average for other aircraft systems. After the tragic loss of pilot Capt Jeff Haney and his F-22 in Alaska in November 2010, the initial mishap investigation suggested that hypoxia, a lack of oxygen available to the pilot, may have been causal to the accident. Ultimately, the Air Force's Accident Investigation Board concluded that Haney failed to recognize and initiate a timely dive recovery due to channelized attention.

United States Air Force Scientific Advisory Board Report on Aircraft Oxygen Generation - Many aircraft make use of an on-board oxygen generation system to provide breathing oxygen for the aircrew. Compared to historical experience, there have been an increasing number of hypoxia-like incidents in the F-22 Raptor aircraft, that may be related to their on-board oxygen generating systems (OBOGS) or their installation. The United States Air Force (USAF) Scientific Advisory Board was tasked to conduct a Quicklook Study of system safety issues involving OBOGS to help ensure that the appropriate steps are being taken to enhance flight safety of these aircraft. These included, but were not limited to, evaluating the current F-22 oxygen system, evaluating OBOGS and life support systems in general, investigating contaminants that could have an effect on OBOGS operation, evaluating human responses to high altitude rapid cabin altitude changes/rapid decompression environment with less that 90% oxygen, assisting with F-22 return-to-fly criteria as requested, revalidating and clarifying Air Standards, reviewing and validating implementation of performance-based acquisition programs and associated risk analysis protocols, examining specific hypoxia-like incidents occurring in flight regimes not normally considered likely for hypoxia events, and reviewing and revalidating all aircrew flight equipment affiliated with OBOGS-equipped aircraft. Priority was given to F-22 aircraft; however, other OBOGS-equipped aircraft were also considered.