U2 Spy plane Crashes into Sutter Buttes – pilots eject

a-u2-crash — Image of crash site via Action news now -Chico

First responders have been called to a site where an aircraft reportedly flew into the Sutter Buttes. Smoke was visible from the west side of the buttes.

Mutual aid calls were made; a Type 3 engine (capable of fighting wildland fires) was requested. Air ambulance was also called.

A Sutter County sheriff’s deputy reported the plane that crashed was a U-2 training plane, and that the two pilots aboard ejected.

A Beale Air Base spokesman said they could not comment yet whether a military aircraft was involved, but that they are sending a response team and would issue a news release later today.

Warnings were being issued for personnel to stay clear until hazardous materials team arrives, for fear of possible explosions.

UPDATE (via ActionNewsNow): Sources from within Beale Airforce Base told Action News Now that the plane crashed in the Sutter Butte Mountains was the training version of a U2 spy plane.

There is still no word on the condition of the pilots, however, there were two parachutes seen in the sky around the time of the mayday call at 9:10 a.m. however there is no word on their condition.

UPDATE2:

Initial report: U-2 crashed in Sutter, Calif. – unpopulated area. 2 Pilots safely ejected/awaiting recovery with aircraft in isolated area.

— Air Combat Command (@USAF_ACC) September 20, 2016

We can confirm a U-2 from @9thRW Beale AFB has gone down in Sutter County, CA; 2 pilots have ejected; details to follow when available

— USAF Pressdesk (@usafpressdesk) September 20, 2016

UPDATE3: Sad news…

Beale AFB Spokesperson: “One pilot confirmed dead in Sutter Butte U-2 crash”

One pilot is dead following a military plane crash near the Sutter Butte mountain range in Sutter County. There is no word on the condition of the other pilot at this time. The unidentified pilot died sometime after ejecting from the U-2 “Dragon Lady” reconnaissance plane, which sent a mayday call around 9 a.m.

http://www.actionnewsnow.com/news/beale-afb-spokesperson-one-pilot-confirmed-dead-in-sutter-butte-u-2-crash-/

Via social media Marysville Appeal-Democrat/ChicoER.

Details will be added as they emerge

For those who are not familiar with Northern California, the Sutter Buttes is the smallest contiguous mountain range in the world that sits in the center of the Sacramento valley.

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RACookPE1978

Editor

September 21, 2016 8:08 pm

Couple of people have brought up U-2 “age” – Remember, these are Air Force and CIA aircraft, often NOT flying in one year as much as commercial airliners do in a week. (U-2 recon a bit different than bombers though.) From the NASA book referenced above:

The U-2 fleet was produced in several batches. The first production run was built for the CIA with 20 airframes constructed at Burbank, CA, under contract SP-1913. A second batch of 29 airframes was constructed at Oildale, CA, under contract SP-1914. An additional airframe was built as part of this batch, possibly using parts from crash-damaged airframes. Each U-2 airframe was identified by a three-digit Lockheed construction number, called an article number. Air Force serial numbers were assigned in 1956.
The original prototype (Article 341) never received a U.S. Air Force serial number. Article 390 was allocated a serial number that had been previously assigned to Article 357, which was lost in a nonfatal accident. The Air Force ordered a supplementary batch of five airframes in 1958. In 1967 and 1968, the CIA and Air Force received 12 U-2R airframes, four of which survived to be converted to U-2S configuration.
Between 1981 and 1989, a total of 37 new airframes were built under the designations TR-1A, TR-1B, U-2R, and ER-2. The TR-1 series aircraft were redesignated U-2R in October 1991 and later converted to U-2S