F-35 Crash Horror: Pilot’s Desperate 50-Minute Call with Engineers Fails to Save $200M Jet in Alaska!
A US Air Force F-35 pilot spent 50 tense minutes on an airborne conference call with engineers, frantically trying to fix a critical issue with his fighter jet before it crashed in a fiery explosion in Alaska. The dramatic incident, detailed in an accident report released this week, occurred on January 28 at Eielson Air Force Base in Fairbanks. The pilot escaped with minor injuries, but the $200 million state-of-the-art jet was reduced to wreckage.
The crash, captured on video, showed the F-35 plummeting straight to the ground and erupting into a fireball. The Air Force’s investigation pinned the disaster on a surprising culprit: ice in the jet’s hydraulic lines. This prevented the landing gear from working correctly, setting off a chain of events that led to the loss of the costly aircraft.
According to the report, trouble began shortly after takeoff when the pilot attempted to retract the landing gear. The gear wouldn’t fully retract, and when the pilot tried lowering it again, it locked at an awkward angle to the left. This malfunction caused the jet’s systems to mistakenly believe the plane was on the ground, triggering a cascade of problems.
In an effort to resolve the issue, the pilot went through a series of system checklists. When those failed, he initiated a conference call with five engineers from Lockheed Martin, the F-35’s manufacturer. The group included a senior software engineer, a flight safety expert, and three landing gear specialists. Together, they worked to diagnose and fix the problem while the jet circled near the air base.
The pilot, guided by the engineers, attempted two “touch-and-go” landings, where the plane briefly touches down before taking off again. The goal was to jolt the jammed nose gear into alignment. However, these attempts backfired. Not only did the nose gear remain misaligned, but the left and right main landing gears also froze, unable to extend fully for a proper landing.
At this point, the F-35’s sensors added to the chaos. Mistaking the plane’s state, they signaled that the jet was on the ground, causing the aircraft’s computer systems to switch to “automated ground-operation mode.” This mode is designed for taxiing, not flying, rendering the jet “uncontrollable,” according to the report. With no other options, the pilot ejected, narrowly escaping as the plane crashed.
Investigators later examined the wreckage and discovered a shocking detail: about one-third of the fluid in the hydraulic systems of the nose and right main landing gears was water. Hydraulic systems rely on specialized fluid to function, and water especially in freezing conditions should never be present. The report noted that the temperature at the time of the crash was a bone-chilling -1°F, likely contributing to the icing problem.
This wasn’t an isolated incident. Just nine days after the crash, another F-35 at Eielson Air Force Base experienced a similar hydraulic icing issue. Fortunately, that pilot managed to land safely. The recurrence raised questions about maintenance practices and oversight at the base.
The investigation revealed that Lockheed Martin had warned about potential sensor issues in extreme cold weather in a maintenance newsletter published in April 2024, nine months before the crash. The newsletter cautioned that such problems could make it “difficult for the pilot to maintain control of the aircraft.” Had the conference call participants referenced this guidance, they might have advised the pilot to attempt a full-stop landing or a controlled ejection instead of a second touch-and-go maneuver, which worsened the situation.
The Air Force’s Accident Investigation Board pointed to multiple failures that led to the crash. The pilot and engineers’ decision-making during the in-flight call was one factor. Additionally, the board highlighted lapses in the hazardous material program, which oversees the storage and distribution of hydraulic fluid, and improper servicing of the aircraft’s hydraulic systems. These oversights allowed water to contaminate the system, setting the stage for the disaster.
Lockheed Martin, when asked about the findings, directed inquiries back to the Air Force, offering no further comment. The loss of the $200 million F-35 underscores the challenges of operating advanced military aircraft in extreme environments like Alaska’s subzero winters. The incident also raises questions about maintenance protocols and whether lessons from previous warnings were adequately applied.
For the Air Force, the crash is a costly reminder of the importance of rigorous oversight and adherence to maintenance guidelines. While the pilot’s quick thinking and ejection ensured no loss of life, the destruction of such an expensive and critical asset is a significant setback. The investigation’s findings will likely prompt a review of procedures to prevent similar incidents in the future, especially at bases operating in harsh climates.
As the Air Force and Lockheed Martin analyze the crash, the focus will be on ensuring that hydraulic systems are properly maintained and that pilots and engineers have the tools and information needed to make informed decisions in high-stakes situations. For now, the dramatic 50-minute call and the fiery crash serve as a stark warning of the fine line between control and catastrophe in modern aviation.
