A U.S. Air Force F-22 pilot has received the service’s highest flight-safety honour after safely bringing the stealth fighter down on its belly following a right main wheel failure on takeoff from Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Ken Wilsbach presented the 2025 Koren Kolligian Jr. Trophy to Capt. Michael Cloninger at the Pentagon, recognising the recovery of a high-value combat aircraft in a serious emergency.
The incident dates to 2024, when the F-22 lost its right main wheel assembly shortly after takeoff during a deployed mission in the Middle East. Faced with a damaged aircraft and no written procedure covering the failure, Cloninger chose to continue airborne, burn off fuel and prepare for a controlled belly landing. He later brought the jet down using an emergency flap setting and kept the aircraft on the runway centreline.
The Koren Kolligian Jr. Trophy recognises exceptional airmanship that averts accidents or reduces their severity and is the only Air Force award personally presented by the chief of staff. The case has become a notable example of fighter recovery and loss prevention on a fifth-generation aircraft worth roughly $150 million.