The US Navy Lifted a $115,000,000 F-35C Stealth Fighter From 12,400 Feet Down in the South China Sea. The Fighter Failed to Land and the Pilot Ejected

The US Navy Lifted a $115,000,000 F-35C Stealth Fighter From 12,400 Feet Down in the South China Sea. The Fighter Failed to Land and the Pilot Ejected

The US Navy command investigation found no airframe or engine failure in the F-35C. The pilot had stayed in manual power instead of selecting the Approach Power Compensator and Delta Flight Path, the automated modes that hold thrust and glide path for a carrier landing. He believed those modes were engaged. They were not. The investigation file put the aircraft's purchase cost at about $115 million.