The January 28 incident at Eielson Air Force Base in Fairbanks was captured on video, showing the jet in a dive straight down, ultimately crashing into a fireball. The pilot ejected safely, suffering only minor injuries, but the $200 million aircraft was destroyed.
Cause of the Accident
According to investigators, ice formed in the hydraulic lines of the nose gear and the main gear, freezing them in place and preventing proper deployment.
Shortly after take-off, when the pilot attempted to retract the landing gear, it achieved maybe 90% retraction before jamming at an angle. The pilot tried to resolve the issue, and as aimed for a landing or "go touch" landing to try to resolve the issue; mistakenly reported to the aircraft that they were on the ground.
Realizing the landing issue was worsening, the pilot attempted two "touch and go" landings to try to get the nose wheel to orient itself straight; the issue increased once again, which jammed both main gears, and the jet's systems entered "ground-operation mode," so the aircraft became completely uncontrollable, and the pilot was forced to eject.
Findings and Contributing Factors
Review of the wreckage found that about one-third of the hydraulic fluid in both the nose gear and right main gear was actually water. A similar issue was noted on another F-35 at the same base just nine days ago, and it landed safely.
The investigation also noted that Lockheed Martin issued guidance in April 2024, addressing cold-weather-related advisories for sensors introduced issues that may have made it difficult for the pilot to maintain control of the aircraft.
At the time of the crash, the outside air temperature was reported to be -1 degrees.
The report concluded that decision-making during the in-flight should have been monitored, a lack of oversight of the hazardous material program, and improper servicing of the hydraulic systems all contributed to the crash.
