The Air Force is investigating a mishap involving an F-22 fighter jet that took place at about 11:30 a.m. on May 6 at the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport, Ga.
One pilot was involved in the mishap but “no injuries were sustained,” the Georgia Air National Guard’s 165th Airlift Wing wrote in a press release. It was not immediately clear if the mishap involved an in-flight emergency or if it took place on the ground.
The F-22, assigned to the 71st Fighter Squadron, 1st Fighter Wing at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., was participating in Sentry Savannah, an annual Air National Guard fighter combat training exercise held at the Air Dominance Center. The exercise will continue as scheduled.
“Thank you to all the first responders who arrived on scene,” Col. Stephen Thomas, commander of the Air Dominance Center, said in a statement. “Sentry Savannah is all about showcasing readiness and today’s mishap affirmed our Airmen’s ability to respond at a moment’s notice.
“The incident is under investigation,” the 165th Airlift Wing wrote in its statement.
The Air Force has just 185 F-22s: stealthy, fifth-generation air dominance fighters that were originally supposed to replace the older F-15 Eagle. The last mishap involving an F-22 was in March 2022, when a Raptor’s landing gear collapsed while landing at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. An almost identical accident happened a year earlier, also at Eglin.
Though high-tech and expensive, F-22s can recover from mishaps. Last May, a Raptor took to the skies again five years after it suffered extensive damage from a botched takeoff in 2018.