David P. Cooley

David Paul Cooley (February 15, 1960 – March 25, 2009) 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.

Biography

Early years The son of a USAF airman, David Cooley was born February 15, 1960, at RAF Mildenhall 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. 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. and later became an instructor in that aircraft. From 2000 to 2003, he served as the vice commandant for the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School. 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. Due to the high g-forces required by the flight profile, Cooley was likely incapacitated by "almost g-induced loss of consciousness" (G-LOC).

Reaction and legacy MGen David Eichhorn bids farewell to Dave Cooley, Edwards AFB, April 2009. (USAF Photo) 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.