One video showing a US F-35B that had its landing gear give way and the pilot ejecting from it; was not expected by the manufacturer. The accident also happened on the day of the first flight of the F-35A in 2006.
F-35B Crash, F-35A Maiden Flight Happens on Same Day
What the nose gear had failed on that day is not known, when the jet was in a hover and tumbling and seen online on Twitter.
The plane makes its preliminary touchdown, after which it jumps into the air before making a hard nose-first landing on the tarmac. The undercarriage entirely falls before the pilot jettisons, and the jet starts rolling to the surface, reported The EurAsian Times.
The event also well illustrated the Martin-Baker US16E ejection seat's "zero-zero" capabilities, being able to function reliably despite the airframe being virtually on the surface.
A Defense department spokesperson remarked that a US government pilot had been working the airframe there at the time of the event. Nevertheless, the plane was not yet passed to the armed services by its manufacturer, Lockheed Martin.
Lockheed Martin stated that they knew of the incident and the pilot was safe. An image that circulated on social media shortly after the event also clearly shows the airplane lying on its nose, which, according to accounts, was caused by the airframe and resulted in failure during the test.
F-35 Landing Mishaps
The Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base in Fort Worth shares a tarmac with Lockheed Martin's final F-35 assembly plant.
This same incident area was secured by White Settlement Police officers, the US Navy, and Lockheed Martin staff, according to White Settlement Police Chief Christopher Cook.
Cook added the jet had a problem that forced the pilot to eject from the plane, NBC DFW reported.
It is the second time a mishap happened in the center, like when the T-45C Goshawk jet trainer owned to be the navy crashed in Lake Worth in September 2021. The pilot ejected safely.
In the meantime, Lockheed Martin declined to elaborate on the pilot's circumstances or what could have led to the crash. The Tarrant County factory employs over 18,000 people and is the main center in which the company builds F-35 fighter planes.
The F-35B Lightning II is equipped with a vertical lift fan and a swiveling engine impeller, enabling it to land in a vertical position and begin taking off rapidly from expeditionary airbases. As shown on the corporation's webpage, it is used by several air forces.
Other Accidents Involving F-35s
In early December, the marines had a problem with the stealth fighter. The same problem with the nose gear again, causing it to hit the ground while getting towed. An electrical problem caused another emergency landing at the Kadena air base in Okinawa, Japan.
In October 2022, the F-35A Lightning II plunged at Hill Air Force Base, south of Ogden, Utah. The fighter pilot suddenly exited while returning to Hill Air Force Base during one standardized training mission.
Another jet crashed on a carrier deck in the South China Sea, which rolled into the water. The US F-35B has had several landing gear accidents and some alleged reliability issues.
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