US EditionF-35 Pilot Held 50-Minute Airborne Conference Call with Engineers Before Fighter Jet Crashed in Alaska
Hydraulic fluid contamination led to ice buildup in landing gear, causing a $196.5 million loss and pilot injury, with maintenance and oversight failures cited as contributing factors.
- On Jan. 28, an F-35A Lightning II assigned to the 355th Fighter Squadron crashed at Eielson Air Force Base, exploding and causing a $196.5 million loss while the pilot ejected safely.
- Investigators concluded contaminated hydraulic fluid allowed ice to form inside nose landing gear and main landing gear struts, preventing full extension and causing faulty weight-on-wheels sensors.
- The pilot spent a 50-minute conference call with the Eielson supervisor of flying, engineers, and Lockheed Martin, agreeing to two touch-and-go landings that failed to realign the jammed nose landing gear.
- The report says the jet's avionics entered automated ground-operation mode midair, making the F-35 automated avionics uncontrollable due to ice and sensor faults; after ejection, the unmanned aircraft climbed to 3,205 feet mean sea level .
- Investigators flagged human and programmatic failures as contributing to the mishap, citing crew decision-making, maintenance lapses, and inadequate Hazardous Materials program oversight, while noting Lockheed Martin’s maintenance newsletter guidance and a similar hydraulic-icing event nine days later.
18 Articles
18 Articles
Why did an F-35 fall out of the sky and explode in Alaska? Ice made it think it was on the ground.
Two F-35As over the Alaska-Canada Highway en route to their new home with the 354th Fighter Wing at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska, April 21, 2020.US Air National Guard/Tech. Sgt. Adam KeeleAn F-35 fell from the air and exploded in a fireball in Alaska earlier this year.An investigation found that ice made automated systems think the jet was on the ground.The "uncontrollable" jet was destroyed, but the pilot ejected safely.An Air Force investi…
F-35 pilot held 50-minute airborne conference call with engineers before fighter jet crashed in Alaska
A US Air Force F-35 pilot spent 50 minutes on an airborne conference call with Lockheed Martin engineers trying to solve a problem with his fighter jet before he ejected and the plane plunged to the ground in Alaska earlier this year, an accident report released this week says.
Evening Brief: Ice Contamination in Landing Gear Caused F-35 Crash in Alaska, Israeli Forces Stage Rare Daytime Raid in Ramallah
US Air Force blames ice for $196M F-35 crash, Hezbollah disarmament plan, and more. Here’s what’s making headlines this Tuesday evening. #EveningBrief #DefenseNews #MiddleEast
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