Airman saves $149 million F-22 Raptor

by Air Force Tech Sgt. Vernon Cunningham
JBER Public Affairs

2/26/2014 - JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- An Airman with the 525th Aircraft Maintenance Unit earned the Pacific Air Forces Aviation Safety Well Done Award Feb. 14 for putting out a fire on an F-22 Raptor at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Feb. 4.

PACAF Aviation Safety Well Done Awards are presented for outstanding airmanship or support to aircrew, which prevents or reduces the impact of a serious flight mishap. Airman 1st Class Michael Underwood, 525th AMU assistant dedicated crew chief, has been in the Air Force for less than two years and was put in for the award due to his quick thinking during the hazardous situation.

Raised in Saginaw, Texas, Underwood looked to the military for his future.

"I was hoping for a stable job, something that I knew I could count on," he said. "I wanted education, and I hoped and am hoping I can make a career out of it."

After joining the Air Force and getting through his training, Underwood was assigned to JBER.

Feb. 4 was a regular day "at the office" for Underwood, who performed his daily tasks as normal. He got notice of the F-22 coming in and did his duty marshalling it to its parking spot, sometimes called an "F-22 garage."

Air Force Master Sgt. Joshua Franzen, 525th AMU Tactical Aircraft Maintenance flight chief, said Underwood was assisting an F-22 with parking when the incident occurred.

"Underwood was getting the aircrew out of the seat, had the boarding ladder up, and was assisting aircrew with baggage when he looked under the aircraft and noticed the right main landing gear brake had caught fire," Franzen said.

The flame was roughly six-inches high, Underwood said.

"He quickly reacted, grabbed the Halon bottle and put out the fire, saving a $149-million aircraft," Franzen said.

The flight chief said he was very impressed with Underwood's actions to save the Raptor's critical systems. He said the jet made its next sortie as scheduled.

"I never thought I would do something like that," Underwood said, stating he was surprised when he received the award.

"When it happened, I basically acted on instinct," he said. "It felt like it was part of my job. This jet was prevented from taking heavy damage and costing the Air Force money. We still have it and it is still flying."