Air Force brass honor Richland native for cool head during in-flight emergency

Air Force Maj. Jack Nelson, a native of Richland, was honored by the Air Force Chief of Staff for his smooth handling of an in-flight emergency while piloting a U-2.

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen Mark A. Welsh II presented Nelson with the 2015 Koren Kolligian Jr. trophy during a May 25 ceremony at the Pentagon.

The award is named for 1st Lt. Koren Kolligan Jr., who was declared missing in the line of duty when his T-33 Shooting Star disappeared off the California coast in 1955. Presented annually, it honors pilots who display extraordinary ski, alertness and ingenuity in averting or minimizing the serious of a flight mishap.

Nelson graduated from Hanford High School in 1999, Columbia Basin College in 2001 and the University of Washington in 2003.

He was lauded for landing safely after three displays that indicated multiple systems had stopped working on the U-2 he was flying. He was able to reset the multi-function display, then returned to earth flying in sub-zero temperatures when the environmental control system malfunctioned. The U-2 is a single-engine ultra high altitude reconnaissance aircraft.

“Every aviator knows when you step out to a mission, there is an element of risk,” Nelson told the Air Force News Service. “There’s always a risk that we accept.”

Nelson’s parents are former Tri-City residents Rob Nelson and Kathy Schmale-Legun. His sister, grandmother and aunt remain in the Tri-Cities.

This story was originally published May 29, 2016 at 12:08 PM with the headline "Air Force brass honor Richland native for cool head during in-flight emergency."