The US military’s fifth-generation stealth fighter jet, F-35B, went missing on September 17, 2023. A mishap forced the pilot to eject over South Carolina before the plane crashed. The US Marine Corps (USMC) has now released the findings of the accident.

In September last year, the F-35B went missing after the pilot ejected. The fighter jet was assigned to Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501, and Joint Base Charleston appealed to the public for help locating it.

It was later established that the jet flew more than 60 miles, or over 96 kilometers, without a pilot before it crashed into a field. Fortunately, the incident did not cause any injuries.

A report published by the Marines on October 31 gives the whole account of the accident: “On the afternoon of Sept. 17, 2023, a U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter, assigned to Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron (VMFAT) 501, 2nd MAW, crashed in South Carolina. The pilot safely ejected from the aircraft while attempting to execute a climbout during a missed approach in instrument meteorological conditions and heavy precipitation near Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina. The aircraft continued to fly unmanned for 11 minutes and 21 seconds before impacting in a rural area approximately 64 nautical miles northeast of the airfield in Williamsburg County, South Carolina.”

According to the extensive investigation conducted by the USMC, some contributing factors include the possibility that the helmet-mounted display and panoramic cockpit display were not operational for at least three separate periods. In addition, an electrical incident occurred during flight and caused failures of the transponder, tactical air navigation system, instrument landing system, and both primary radios. This led to the pilot becoming disoriented in difficult weather and instrument conditions.

The investigation further specified that the electrical malfunction was not related to any maintenance activity. “All preventative, scheduled, and unscheduled maintenance conducted on the aircraft was correct and in keeping with established standards.”

While the crash has been attributed to pilot error, the report states that the pilot was up-to-date and qualified to fly the scheduled flight. The flight was professionally and appropriately organized, planned, briefed, and carried out in compliance with all relevant orders and directives. 

“The investigation concludes the mishap aircraft’s extended unmanned flight was due to stability provided by the F-35’s advanced automatic flight-control systems,” states the report.

The report also states that the aircraft’s final descent below the air-traffic control radar horizon and a malfunctioning transponder caused the loss of positive radar contact with the aircraft. The F-35 B’s low-observable technology may be partly responsible for the lack of positive contact.

Finally, the investigation concludes that the pilot’s decision to eject was ultimately wrong because the aircraft’s backup radio was partially operational, commanded-flight inputs were underway at the time of ejection, and standby flight instrumentation was delivering valid data.

Additionally, following ejection, the aircraft flew for a considerable amount of time. It stated: ”The pilot incorrectly diagnosed an out-of-controlled flight emergency and ejected from a flyable aircraft, albeit during a heavy rainstorm compounded with aircraft electrical and display malfunctions.” 

Currently, 17 countries around the world fly F-35s. Designed from the ground up to prioritize low-observability, the F-35 is a single-engine fighter jet that comes in three variants. The F-35A, flown by the Air Force, takes off and lands on conventional runways, and the F-35B, the Marine Corps version, is a short-takeoff vertical landing aircraft that can operate off the Navy’s amphibious assault ships. The F-35C is flown from an aircraft carrier.

Despite being one of the most advanced fighter jets in the world, the F-35 has had a string of crashes and mishaps that have discredited its reputation. 

A String Of Accidents Plague The F-35s

The aircraft suffered its first crash in 2018, 17 years after its development. In 2018, a Marine Corps F-35B fighter plane crashed in South Carolina in a startling resemblance to the above incident.

The incident happened on an island near the village of Grays Hill. The aircraft, held at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, crashed during a regular training exercise. The pilot safely ejected before the crash.

The US military then grounded its entire fleet of F-35 stealth jets. Later, it was discovered that the cause of the issue was a defective fuel tube.

The next incident came shortly after in 2019 when Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-35A crashed into the water during a nighttime training flight. The pilot was killed in the crash, sending shockwaves across the world.

The investigation into the crash stated that Maj. Akinori Hosomi was unlikely to have attempted to eject from his plane. The Japanese military attributed the catastrophe to spatial disorientation. Notably, spatially disoriented pilots can not accurately feel an aircraft’s position, attitude, altitude, or motion.

In May 2020, a US Air Force F-35 went down on landing at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. At the time of the accident, the pilot was engaged in a routine nighttime training flight. The US Air Force later claimed that the accident happened due to the pilot’s mistake as well as the aircraft’s malfunctioning equipment.

An Air Force investigation later concluded that an excessive landing speed was the primary cause of the F-35A crash, although other contributing factors included defective flight control logic, issues with the helmet-mounted display, the aircraft’s oxygen system, and insufficient simulator training.

Another crash happened a few months later, in October 2020, when a Marine F-35B aircraft crashed near Naval Air Facility El Centro, California, after colliding with a KC-130J in the air during midair refueling. The pilot of F-35B was able to successfully eject from the aircraft after the KC-130J made an emergency landing in California.

In November 2021, a British F-35B crashed off the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth into the Mediterranean Sea. The pilot ejected safely from that plane.

The year 2022 was particularly bad for the F-35. A US Navy F-35C experienced a “landing incident” on the deck of the Carl Vinson aircraft carrier in the South China Sea. Seven US military personnel were reportedly injured in the mishap. The pilot was performing routine flight operations when the incident took place and managed to eject safely.

Also, in January 2022, the pilot of a South Korean F-35A jet fighter made an emergency “belly landing” at an air base after its landing gear malfunctioned due to electronic issues.

In December 2022, an F-35B crash-landed at Lockheed Martin’s assembly line in Fort Worth, Texas. The incident prompted the manufacturer Lockheed Martin to ground several F-35s until at least early January 2023 and halt deliveries of the stealth fighter to the US and its allies.

This year has not been devoid of accidents. In May 2024, an F-35B Lightning II fighter crashed near the Albuquerque International Sunport in New Mexico. The pilot ejected safely but sustained injuries.

That said, since its introduction 17 years ago, the F-35 has continued to enjoy considerable success in the international market, with Lockheed Martin receiving new orders from across the world. While some accidents have led to setbacks, the aircraft has only seen a surge in popularity in recent times.

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