All The Ways The F-35 Tried To Kill Its Pilot Prior To Eglin AFB Crash
Six total factors, including speed, helmet, oxygen, and flight control problems, led to this summer’s loss of an Air Force Lightning II.
ByThomas NewdickOctober 8, 2020
The War Zone
The pilot of the U.S. Air Force F-35A stealth fighter that crashed at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida this past summer struggled with an extraordinary catalog of problems before he ejected from the jet. Though high-landing speed was determined to be the key culprit, issues with the pilot’s helmet, the aircraft’s oxygen system, and the software behind the jet’s fly-by-wire flight control system all contributed to the accident, according to a recently released official report.
The F-35A from the 58th Fighter Squadron, the “Gorillas,†part of the 33rd Fighter Wing, crashed upon landing at the Florida base on May 19, 2020, after a routine night-training sortie. It was the second crash of a stealth fighter operating out of the base in less than a week, following the loss of an F-22 Raptor on May 15, and the two accidents led to a “safety pause†on flying operations at the base.
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/36970/all-the-ways-the-f-35-tried-to-kill-its-pilot-prior-to-eglin-afb-crash
