INDO DAILY
← AEROSPACE  |  Home AEROSPACE

F-35 crash caused by technical glitch, distracted pilot

by Christen Mccurdy Washington DC (UPI) Oct 06, 2020 UPI
The May crash of an F-35A Lightning II at Florida's Eglin Air Force base was caused by the pilot trying to land at an excessive speed, and a flight control logic glitch that left its tail unresponsive, according to a new report.

According to the report, the pilot was also fatigued, causing "cognitive degradation" and was distracted at a critical point in the flight and lacked key understanding of the flight-control logic.

The pilot, who has not been identified, was safely ejected from the aircraft as it landed on the base and did not sustain serious injuries.

Investigators also found problems with the aircraft's oxygen system.

The pilot had nearly 138 hours of flight time in the F-35A, including slightly more than 53 instructor hours and eight night flying hours.

The May 19 crash was the second involving a fifth-generation fighter at Eglin that week, coming four days after an F-22 crash on the same base.

Leadership on the base subsequently put flights on hold on the base.

The report did not discuss corrective actions or flight safety restrictions as a result of the accident.

The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, is Copyright 1995-2026 Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principles for news reporting and research purposes.