F-35 Pilot: 'I Didn't Know if I Was Going To Be Able To Get Back'

摘要

Flying at about 35,000 ft. on a scorching Arizona day, the F-35 pilot noticed the oxygen flowing into his mask catch for just a split second."That was odd," he thought.At that moment, a high-pitched alarm rang, "deedle-deedle." A caution light flashed in the cockpit, warning that the Onboard Oxygen Generation System (OBOGS) had failed.The pilot, who requested anonymity to protect his privacy, immediately recognized the early symptoms of hypoxia he had experienced during training in the altitude chamber: tingling fingers, a warm sensation in his ears and on the back of his neck, and heavy breathing. Simultaneously, his vision began going gray, as if he had stood up too fast.