NEWPORT NEWS, Va. A recently declassified NASA report suggests the Air Force could have more effectively investigated problems with the F-22 Raptor and responded to pilots who experienced symptoms of oxygen deprivation or hypoxia.

The report also "concurs with much of what the Air Force has done" to determine why the expensive, stealthy jet has caused some pilots to feel dizzy or disoriented.

However, it cited a lack of information sharing and approaches to treating pilots that varied from base to base. It also took a critical look at how the Air Force examined the problem early on in their attempt to find the elusive "smoking gun."

NASA completed the 120-page report in August 2012. The Daily Press recently obtained a redacted copy through a Freedom of Information of Act request.

Among the highlights:

NASA recommends adjusting oxygen levels in relation to altitudes. However, the Air Force says it wants to seek more data before making those changes.

The Air Force developed guidelines to treat pilots with unexplained cases of hypoxia. However, different bases tried specific approaches that, while beneficial, were not shared throughout the service. The Air Force said what NASA deems as inconsistency could be seen as being flexible.

The report describes pilots with ear blockages that clear in the middle of the night, "waking them up to the sound of a loud explosion." Other pilots describe how it takes "a couple of days" to recover from the fatigue of a flight. In response, the Air Force says pilots in many aircraft complain of delayed ear blocks, and the condition is not unique to the F-22. As for fatigue, the Air Force says NASA's observations were made before improvements reduced breathing stress among pilots.

The investigative process generated much information, but didn't necessarily lend itself to the challenge posed by the Raptor, which not only examined individual systems, but now those systems interacted.

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NASA cites concerns in Air Force Raptor probe