USAF honours F-22 pilot who landed with missing main wheel
An F-22 Raptor pilot has received the US Air Force's top flight safety award for landing his fighter after its right main wheel assembly came off at takeoff during a deployment in the Middle East.
The US Air Force has awarded its highest flight safety honour to an F-22 Raptor pilot who landed his jet on its underside in the Middle East after losing a main wheel on departure.
Captain Michael Cloninger of the 90th Fighter Squadron, 3rd Operations Group, received the 2025 Koren Kolligian Jr. Trophy from Air Force Chief of Staff General Ken Wilsbach at the Pentagon on September 8, 2026.
It is the service's top award for flight safety and the only one the chief of staff presents himself. The award is named for First Lieutenant Koren Kolligian Jr., whose T-33 Shooting Star went missing off the California coast on September 14, 1955. His family established it in his memory to recognise exceptional airmanship in emergencies, particularly cases where crews prevent an accident or reduce the toll on lives, injuries or aircraft.
On September 18, 2024, Cloninger was flying as number two in a four-aircraft formation deployed to the US Central Command area of responsibility. The flight was conducting a memorial flyover for the anniversary of the Battle of Britain. Shortly after the F-22 became airborne, its right main wheel assembly came off.
The formation abandoned the mission and remained near the airfield. Cloninger took over navigation and communications lead, slowed below the landing gear limit and put the gear down. His flight lead then confirmed the entire right main wheel assembly was gone.
No written procedure existed for the failure, so Cloninger selected the checklist for a gear-up landing.
Sources
- aerotime.aeroF-22 pilot receives USAF’s highest safety award after belly landing