Navy F-35C suffers first major airborne mishap

The Navy’s next-generation F-35 fighter jet reached an unwanted milestone last month when a carrier-based Lightning II suffered a major airborne mishap.

It took place on Aug. 22, when an F-35C from the “Rough Raiders” of Strike Fighter Squadron 125 was being refueled in-flight by a F/A-18F Super Hornet operating from the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln, according to Cmdr. Ron Flanders, a spokesman for Naval Air Forces.

“During the refueling, part of the refueling basket broke off, and that debris was ingested into the engine of the F-35," he said.

The basket is part of the appendage that extends out from the Super Hornet to refuel receiving aircraft, Flanders said.

The Super Hornet was flying in front of the F-35 during the mishap, and the broken basket flew right into the fighter’s single engine.

No pilots were injured in the incident, Flanders said.

RELATED

After nearly 2 decades in development, the US Navy is close to operating with its new stealth fighter

Recent integration testing onboard the carrier Lincoln is the first time the naval aviation enterprise is rehearsing as a full band with its newest player.

By David B. Larter

The F-35 was able to safely return to the carrier, while the Super Hornet flew to Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia.

“The fact that the (F-35) was able to return to the carrier is a testament to its survivability,” Flanders said.

Its engine will need to be replaced, he said, and the damage will cost roughly $12.7 million to repair.

Authorities continue to probe the the accident.

Second only to birds getting sucked into jet engines, refueling basket-related incidents are the most common type of engine ingestion mishap, Flanders said.

RELATED

Watchdog warns Pentagon to fix F-35 tech problems before full-rate production starts

The Defense Department has agreed to "resolve" deficiencies. That's different than "fix."

By Valerie Insinna

The Navy is working to get the F-35C declared operational by early next year.

Although critics have complained about cost overruns, production delays and other snafus dogging the F-35 program, the military services insist that it’s the best strike fighter ever made and will perform well for decades.

In Other News

Navy fires commanding officer of ballistic missile submarine Alabama

Cmdr. Michael Lyle is one of at least eight Navy commanding officers relieved in 2023.

VA officials sound alarm on uptick in veterans benefits scams

The department is launching a new outreach effort to help veterans spot potential fraud before they become victims.

Race to find Great Lakes shipwrecks before mussels destroy them

Seemingly unstoppable invasive quagga mussels from Russia and Ukraine threaten U.S. maritime history.

France to withdraw counterterrorism troops from Niger after coup

The decision came after the coup leaders said they were closing Niger’s airspace to French planes, commercial and military.

Russian strikes in Ukraine’s city of Odesa damage port, grain silo

Ukraine’s air force reported downing all Russian drones launched overnight, but one of 12 Kalibr missiles and two P-800 Oniks cruise missiles got through.

Load More