03:55 PM EST on Wednesday, March 22, 2006

By Dottie Wikan, WVEC.com

Five days into its first operational deployment, a Langley-based F-22 Raptor from the 27th Fighter Squadron sustained $6.6 million in damage when a nose landing gear pin wasn't removed and was sucked into the right engine, investigators said Wednesday.

It happened October 20, 2005 during operations at Hill Air Force Base, Utah.

The pilot had started engines before a night mission. But the crew chief realized pin was still in place and told the pilot to shut down the engine so it could be removed. However, according to the investigation, the crew chief failed to control the pin's streamer and it got pulled from his hand by the suction intake.

According to 1Lt. Daniel Goldberg with Air Combat Command, the damaged engine was quickly replaced and the F-22A returned to Langley as scheduled with the other deployed aircraft.

He also said the damage will be repaired during 2006.

There were no injuries.