Air Force warns not to pick up F-22 debris if found

The recovery of the downed F-22 Raptor plane near Cantwell is completed and the Army and Air Force are pulling out of the area. The Air Force recovered the remains of the pilot, Air Force Capt. Jeff Haney and spent the past week collecting plane debris from the crash site.An Elmendorf spokesperson said that most pieces of the shattered F-22 were picked up, but warn that some pieces may still be in the area.

Any debris discovered by snowmachiners or others should not be handled because the aircraft was built with materials that can present health risks if they are mishandled. The Air Force established a call center for people to contact trained technicians who can recover the material safely.

The number is 907-552-9321.

The F-22 Raptor crashed Nov. 16 near Cantwell while flying a routine trainings mission. The Air Force is still investigating the cause of the crash.