F-35B Crash in South Carolina

ATTN

As with our previous release, we expect the public to stay away from the crash site and our important investigation. As with any aircraft crash, burned material or other debris from the aircraft may have become airborne. According to our wind dispersal models, airborne carbon fiber particles may have blown west of the impact zone, potentially reaching up to 31 miles. These particles should fully dissipate over the next few days. Although the risk of exposure is low, children and the elderly as well as those with compromised immune systems may have a higher risk of experiencing symptoms. Inhaling carbon fibers may cause breathing difficulties and symptoms similar to the common cold. If you think you are experiencing symptoms, please immediately seek medical attention.

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EDIT:

Let's hope they find out the root cause in short order. If it is a design fault, then hopefully it can be resolved before production really ramps up.

Only one crash in 155,000 flight hours, pretty good.

First real ejection too and the pilot survived. Remember when the ejection seat would apparently kill pilots?

a reply to: C0bzz

Remember the first ejection seats on the XF-104?
The F-35B seems to have a pretty sweet track record, considering the hours flown.

I found some statistics F-22 F-35 Gripen1 Gripen2 F-16

By the time the F-22 had 110,000 flight hours it had crashed three times and killed two pilots. Granted, one of those was a GLOC. On average an F-22 has been destroyed every 96,345 flight hours.

Saab Gripen only surpassed 160,000 flight hours in 2011 after four had crashed, not including skidding off the runway and bursting into flames. No fatalities by that point.

F-16 lifetime rate is 3.08 aircraft totally destroyed per 100,000 flight hours.

F-35 has greater than 155,000 flight hours, crashed once, killed nobody. F-35 flight test involved around three times the flight test hours that Concorde had. It is a single engined fighter. It has a very unique STOVL variant and CV variant designed to operate from carriers. It is currently flown by 13 different services.

It speaks for itself.

I found some Eurofighter and Rafale data and it repeats itself. Maybe the Super Hornet was safer?

Removed.

I'm glad the pilot got out ok, it's a shame it happened on the same day a "Lighting 2" landed aboard the British carrier though!

a reply to: Kurokage

Technically it wasn't. They actually started the trials Thursday, they just didn't release anything until yesterday.


Update- The aircraft was not trying to land, but was on a routine training flight. The pilot was released from the hospital this morning.

a reply to: C0bzz

Good work

Glad the pilot is safe..Planes can be replaced..There have been planes that have had faaaaar worse safety records.

Rumor is lift fan bird strike. Auto-eject. First computer initiated ejection ever?

All F-35s are grounded. A fuel line issue has been identified. No word on whether it'd related, but it appears to be a specific lot of lines. Aircraft with known good lines will bre returned to flight.

www.bbc.co.uk...

ETA- Preliminary data from the crash investigation is what caused the inspection order. Inspections are expected to be done within 48 hours.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
All F-35s are grounded. A fuel line issue has been identified. No word on whether it'd related, but it appears to be a specific lot of lines. Aircraft with known good lines will bre returned to flight.

www.bbc.co.uk...

ETA- Preliminary data from the crash investigation is what caused the inspection order. Inspections are expected to be done within 48 hours.

Wait for it Zaph, the F-35 haters will be here in 3,2,1.............

a reply to: nelloh62

Honestly, I'm surprised this hasn't been played up more by POGO and some of the other sites.

ETA- Spoke too soon. Here come the idiots in force.

The inspection takes all of two hours.