David P. Cooley
Encyclopedia
David Paul Cooley was a Lockheed
test pilot
and retired United States Air Force
(USAF) officer, responsible for developmental flight testing of the F-117 Nighthawk
. He was killed while flying a test mission in an F-22 Raptor
jet fighter over the high desert of Southern California
.
in Suffolk
, England
. He grew up in Fairview Heights, Illinois
and graduated from Belleville East High School. Cooley was an exceptional soccer player and captain of his high school team. His enjoyment of soccer continued throughout his life, and he was a dedicated bicyclist. He attended the United States Air Force Academy
in Colorado Springs, Colorado
and graduated in 1982 with a degree in aeronautical engineering
. George H.W. Bush, then Vice President of the United States, was the graduation speaker and presented Cooley with his diploma, a moment of special pride for the young officer. While at the academy, he met his future wife, Sheyla, who was also a cadet.
and later became an instructor in that aircraft. He began his career in flight test in 1989 conducting operational testing of new weapons and systems for the F-111. Cooley was selected to attend the Empire Test Pilots' School
in Wiltshire
, England
as the Air Force exchange officer. He graduated in 1992 and returned to the United States assigned to the 445th Flight Test Squadron
where he conducted tests on avionics and missile evaluation for the F-15 Eagle
. Cooley was also the chief pilot for the United States Coast Guard
RU-38 Twin Condor
aircraft flight test program.
In 1998, he was selected as the operations officer for the 410th Flight Test Squadron
and performed developmental flight testing of the F-117 Nighthawk. From 2000 to 2003, he served as the vice commandant for the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School
. He was responsible for the day-to-day operations of all aspects of the school and also mentored students as a full-time flight instructor. After retiring from the Air Force in 2003, he was hired by Lockheed Martin as the F-117 chief test pilot. In September 2007, he transitioned to the F-22 Combined Test Force (CTF) at Edwards Air Force Base
. During this time, Cooley and his family lived in Lancaster, California
.
, near Lockhart, California about 35 miles northeast of Edwards Air Force Base. Paramedics transported Cooley from the crash scene to Victor Valley Community Hospital in Victorville, California
, where he was pronounced dead. The wreckage of Cooley’s F-22A crash extended ten miles east from the site of the accident in Hoffman Road from the Fremont Peak Road, in San Bernardino County
and the debris field covered a wide area including three washes
. A security team was deployed to cordon off the area due to aircraft materials that may pose health risks.
The Air Force convened an investigation board
to determine the cause of the accident. On July 31, 2009, the Air Force released the board's accident report that identified human factors associated with high gravitational forces
as the cause of the crash. Due to the high g-forces required by the flight profile, Cooley was likely incapacitated by "almost g-induced loss of consciousness" (A-LOC).
Lockheed Martin Chairman, President and CEO Bob Stevens
recognized Cooley's contributions in an all-employee memo the day after the crash.
A funeral service held on March 30, 2009 at Palmdale United Methodist church was attended by hundreds of colleagues, family members and friends. Two days later, the USAF held a memorial in Hangar 1600 at Edwards Air Force Base. Speakers included 411th Flight Test Squadron
commander Lt. Col. Dan Daetz, Lockheed Martin representative James Brown
, and Air Force Flight Test Center
commander Major General
David Eichhorn.
In addition to his wife, Cooley is survived by their three sons, Paul, Mark and Aaron; his father and stepmother, William and Peggy Cooley; one brother, Bill Cooley; and two sisters, Susan Pfalzer and Cathy Baker.
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company is a major unit of Lockheed Martin with headquarters at Fort Worth, Texas.Lockheed Martin Aeronautics is also based in Marietta, Georgia and Palmdale, California. Palmdale is home to the Advanced Development Programs , informally known as the "Skunk Works"...
test pilot
Test pilot
A test pilot is an aviator who flies new and modified aircraft in specific maneuvers, known as flight test techniques or FTTs, allowing the results to be measured and the design to be evaluated....
and retired United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
(USAF) officer, responsible for developmental flight testing of the F-117 Nighthawk
F-117 Nighthawk
The Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk was a single-seat, twin-engine stealth ground-attack aircraft formerly operated by the United States Air Force . The F-117A's first flight was in 1981, and it achieved initial operating capability status in October 1983...
. He was killed while flying a test mission in an F-22 Raptor
F-22 Raptor
The Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptor is a single-seat, twin-engine fifth-generation supermaneuverable fighter aircraft that uses stealth technology. It was designed primarily as an air superiority fighter, but has additional capabilities that include ground attack, electronic warfare, and signals...
jet fighter over the high desert of Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
.
Early years
The son of a USAF airman, David Cooley was born February 15, 1960 at RAF MildenhallRAF Mildenhall
RAF Mildenhall is a Royal Air Force station located at Mildenhall in Suffolk, England. Despite its status as an RAF station, it primarily supports United States Air Force operations and is currently the home of the 100th Air Refueling Wing...
in Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. He grew up in Fairview Heights, Illinois
Fairview Heights, Illinois
Fairview Heights is a city in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. The population was 17,078 at the 2010 census. Fairview Heights is a dominant shopping center for Southwestern Illinois and includes numerous shopping plazas and the St...
and graduated from Belleville East High School. Cooley was an exceptional soccer player and captain of his high school team. His enjoyment of soccer continued throughout his life, and he was a dedicated bicyclist. He attended the United States Air Force Academy
United States Air Force Academy
The United States Air Force Academy is an accredited college for the undergraduate education of officer candidates for the United States Air Force. Its campus is located immediately north of Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, United States...
in Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado...
and graduated in 1982 with a degree in aeronautical engineering
Aerospace engineering
Aerospace engineering is the primary branch of engineering concerned with the design, construction and science of aircraft and spacecraft. It is divided into two major and overlapping branches: aeronautical engineering and astronautical engineering...
. George H.W. Bush, then Vice President of the United States, was the graduation speaker and presented Cooley with his diploma, a moment of special pride for the young officer. While at the academy, he met his future wife, Sheyla, who was also a cadet.
Career
After completing flight training, Cooley was assigned to fly the F-111 AardvarkGeneral Dynamics F-111
The General Dynamics F-111 "Aardvark" was a medium-range interdictor and tactical strike aircraft that also filled the roles of strategic bomber, reconnaissance, and electronic warfare in its various versions. Developed in the 1960s by General Dynamics, it first entered service in 1967 with the...
and later became an instructor in that aircraft. He began his career in flight test in 1989 conducting operational testing of new weapons and systems for the F-111. Cooley was selected to attend the Empire Test Pilots' School
Empire Test Pilots' School
The Empire Test Pilots' School is a British training school for test pilots and flight test engineers of fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft at MoD Boscombe Down in Wiltshire, England. It was established in 1943, the first of its type...
in Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
as the Air Force exchange officer. He graduated in 1992 and returned to the United States assigned to the 445th Flight Test Squadron
445th Flight Test Squadron
The 445th Flight Test Squadron is part of the 412th Test Wing and is based at Edwards Air Force Base, California.-Overview:...
where he conducted tests on avionics and missile evaluation for the F-15 Eagle
F-15 Eagle
The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter designed by McDonnell Douglas to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. It is considered among the most successful modern fighters with over 100 aerial combat victories with no losses in dogfights...
. Cooley was also the chief pilot for the United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
RU-38 Twin Condor
RU-38 Twin Condor
The Schweizer RU-38 Twin Condor is a two or three-seat, fixed gear, low wing, twin boom covert reconnaissance aircraft.RU-38 is the US military designation for the aircraft, indicating Utility, Reconnaissance...
aircraft flight test program.
In 1998, he was selected as the operations officer for the 410th Flight Test Squadron
410th Flight Test Squadron
The 410th Flight Test Squadron was part of the 412th Test Wing based at Edwards Air Force Base, California. It performed testing on the B-1 Lancer and F-117 Nighthawk aircraft from 1980-2008 and was deactivated with the retirement of the F-117 from the Air Force inventory.-History:The squadron has...
and performed developmental flight testing of the F-117 Nighthawk. From 2000 to 2003, he served as the vice commandant for the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School
U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School
The U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School is the Air Force's very advanced flight training school that trains experimental test pilots, flight test engineers, and flight test navigators to carry out tests and evaluations of new aerospace weapon systems and also other aircraft of the U.S. Air Force...
. He was responsible for the day-to-day operations of all aspects of the school and also mentored students as a full-time flight instructor. After retiring from the Air Force in 2003, he was hired by Lockheed Martin as the F-117 chief test pilot. In September 2007, he transitioned to the F-22 Combined Test Force (CTF) at Edwards Air Force Base
Edwards Air Force Base
Edwards Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located on the border of Kern County, Los Angeles County, and San Bernardino County, California, in the Antelope Valley. It is southwest of the central business district of North Edwards, California and due east of Rosamond.It is named in...
. During this time, Cooley and his family lived in Lancaster, California
Lancaster, California
Lancaster is a charter city in northern Los Angeles County, in the high desert, near the Kern County line. Lancaster currently ranks as the 30th largest city in California, and the 148th largest city in the United States. Lancaster is the principal city within the Antelope Valley...
.
Accident
At approximately 10 a.m. on the morning of March 25, 2009, an F-22A piloted by Cooley crashed at Harper Dry LakeHarper Lake
Harper Lake is a dry lake located in the Mojave Desert near the small community of Lockhart in northwestern San Bernardino County of Southern California...
, near Lockhart, California about 35 miles northeast of Edwards Air Force Base. Paramedics transported Cooley from the crash scene to Victor Valley Community Hospital in Victorville, California
Victorville, California
Victorville is a city located in the Victor Valley of southwestern San Bernardino County, California. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2010 census, the city had a population of 115,903, up from 64,030 at the 2000 census.-Geography and climate:...
, where he was pronounced dead. The wreckage of Cooley’s F-22A crash extended ten miles east from the site of the accident in Hoffman Road from the Fremont Peak Road, in San Bernardino County
San Bernardino County, California
San Bernardino County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, the population was 2,035,210, up from 1,709,434 as of the 2000 census...
and the debris field covered a wide area including three washes
Arroyo (creek)
An arroyo , a Spanish word translated as brook, and also called a wash is usually a dry creek or stream bed—gulch that temporarily or seasonally fills and flows after sufficient rain. Wadi is a similar term in Africa. In Spain, a rambla has a similar meaning to arroyo.-Types and processes:Arroyos...
. A security team was deployed to cordon off the area due to aircraft materials that may pose health risks.
The Air Force convened an investigation board
Accident Analysis
Accident analysis is carried out in order to determine the cause or causes of an accident or series of accidents so as to prevent further incidents of a similar kind. It is also known as accident investigation. It may be performed by a range of experts, including forensic scientists, forensic...
to determine the cause of the accident. On July 31, 2009, the Air Force released the board's accident report that identified human factors associated with high gravitational forces
G-force
The g-force associated with an object is its acceleration relative to free-fall. This acceleration experienced by an object is due to the vector sum of non-gravitational forces acting on an object free to move. The accelerations that are not produced by gravity are termed proper accelerations, and...
as the cause of the crash. Due to the high g-forces required by the flight profile, Cooley was likely incapacitated by "almost g-induced loss of consciousness" (A-LOC).
Reaction and legacy
Robert J. Stevens
Robert J. Stevens, born in 1951, is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Lockheed Martin.-Early life:Born in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, Mr. Stevens is a summa cum laude graduate of Slippery Rock University from which he received the Distinguished Alumni Award...
recognized Cooley's contributions in an all-employee memo the day after the crash.
A funeral service held on March 30, 2009 at Palmdale United Methodist church was attended by hundreds of colleagues, family members and friends. Two days later, the USAF held a memorial in Hangar 1600 at Edwards Air Force Base. Speakers included 411th Flight Test Squadron
411th Flight Test Squadron
The 411th Flight Test Squadron is part of the 412th Test Wing based at Edwards Air Force Base, California. It performed competition testing for the YF-22 and YF-23 aircraft.-History:...
commander Lt. Col. Dan Daetz, Lockheed Martin representative James Brown
James E. Brown III
James E. Brown III is a Lockheed Martin test pilot and former United States Air Force officer. He is the chief test pilot for the F-22 Raptor program and is stationed at Edwards Air Force Base in California where he performs activities including avionics testing, flight envelope expansion, and the...
, and Air Force Flight Test Center
Air Force Flight Test Center
The Air Force Flight Test Center conducts research, development, test, and evaluation of aerospace systems from concept to deployment. It has test flown every aircraft in the U.S. Air Force's inventory since World War II...
commander Major General
Major general (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...
David Eichhorn.
In addition to his wife, Cooley is survived by their three sons, Paul, Mark and Aaron; his father and stepmother, William and Peggy Cooley; one brother, Bill Cooley; and two sisters, Susan Pfalzer and Cathy Baker.
External links
- CNN article. Retrieved May 19, 2009.
- NBC Los Angeles article. Retrieved May 19, 2009.
- Mahalo article. Retrieved May 19, 2009.
- Chicago Tribune article. Retrieved May 20, 2009.
- NBC News article. Retrieved May 20, 2009.
- Air Force News article. Retrieved May 20, 2009.
- F-22 Raptor web site. Retrieved May 21, 2009.