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http://www.ktuu.com/news/la-fi-f22-figh ... 2607.story

The Air Force will modify the handle that engages the emergency oxygen system in its entire fleet of F-22 Raptor fighter jets after a report found that it played a role in a crash that killed one of its top aviators.

The changes come as Anna Haney, the pilot's widow, filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against Lockheed Martin Corp. and subcontractors that designed and built the nation's most expensive fighter jet.

Capt. Jeff Haney, 31, died when his F-22 crashed in the Alaskan wilderness in November 2010

End result, the aircraft will get modified.

I'm not sure I agree with the suit, however . . .the military is a dangerous profession, things don't always work correctly.

"One of the problems that was found with the emergency oxygen handle is that it's in a difficult place to get to in the dark," said John Noonan, aide to Rep. Howard P. "Buck" McKeon (R-Santa Clarita), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. "So the Air Force is doing some research on making adjustments to its location."

The Air Force confirmed in a statement that about 200 handles, costing $47 each, have been delivered, including spares. The new handles have already been installed in the jets at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska, where Haney was based, the Air Force said.

Haney's inability to pull the handle during his fatal accident was one of the issues cited in an accident investigation report released by the Air Force in December.

One cannot test everything . . .

In a detailed, minute-by-minute account, investigators found that Haney's oxygen supply was stopped automatically after the onboard computers detected an air leak in the engine bay. The aircraft system shut down the oxygen system to protect itself from further damage, as designed.

Vital life support systems that automatically shut down without attempting to auto-start the backup system? There's your lawsuit.

Click Click D'oh wrote:Vital life support systems that automatically shut down without attempting to auto-start the backup system? There's your lawsuit.

Add the hard to get handle, and it gets even stronger. Basic engineering is that anything that requires user input shall be placed where they can reach it with ease.

Now . . .

Fighter Pilots Claim Intimidation Over F-22 Raptor Jets

http://news.yahoo.com/fighter-pilots-cl ... ories.html

Two F-22 Raptor pilots have said publicly that not only are they afraid to fly the most expensive fighter jets in American history, but the military has attempted to silence them and other F-22 pilots by threatening their careers.

both veteran fighter pilots for the Virginia Air National Guard who came forward under whistleblower protection from Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R.-Ill.), have asked not to fly the F-22 anymore, according to CBS News, citing their concerns with the oxygen problem.

But

if a member of the Air Force wishes to speak with the media as a representative of the Air Force, that engagement is conducted through the Air Force public affairs office, but whistleblowers are still protected.

If it's really that bad, you'd think they'd do more than add a handle that a pilot could reach. Maybe an additional backup system, triggered through other means - maybe, for example, if a pilot's head dips for so many seconds, a mechanically-actuated O2 backup automatically engages (not sure how anything like that would work, just a thought).