Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF)

TomcatViP said:
Contractor flight (USMC aircraft was flown back to LM):
Click to expand...

I've driven by that site many a time, and flown over it quite a few, going in and out of ABQ on holidays.

It looks like the KOAT article cited by Daily Wire may have been revised. It now says that this aircraft was a new aircraft on a delivery flight from the Lockheed Factory (Fort Worth, presumably) to a Marine base (Yuma, possibly?) to be placed into service.

www.koat.com

Military plane crashes and catches fire at Albuquerque Sunport

Officials are responding to an incident at the Albuquerque Sunport.
www.koat.com www.koat.com
 
Breaking news from CBS:


The pilot was able to eject but is now in hospital with serious injuries.
 
Crosspost:

From Aviation Safety Network:
https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/388482

"A Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II crashed shortly after takeoff from runway 21 near Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ/KABQ), New Mexico. The pilot ejected and was hospitalized with serious injuries, but in stable condition.

"It was a developmental F-35B model on a delivery flight [to KEDW] by Lockheed Martin.
"Possible candidate is TR3 & Bk4 test aircraft Bu 170052, c/n BF-159."
 
aim9xray said:
Crosspost:

From Aviation Safety Network:
https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/388482

"A Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II crashed shortly after takeoff from runway 21 near Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ/KABQ), New Mexico. The pilot ejected and was hospitalized with serious injuries, but in stable condition.

"It was a developmental F-35B model on a delivery flight [to KEDW] by Lockheed Martin.
"Possible candidate is TR3 & Bk4 test aircraft Bu 170052, c/n BF-159."
Click to expand...


So, lifted off in STOL mode and crashed just after. Probably an automatic ejection. Let´s hope that this was not a factor in the crash.
We can see that the a/c didn´t clear the hill at the end of the runway (the picture in the link are the best to see that).

Early news reported a female pilot, injured. If that is accurate, It would be interesting to follow the deliberation around her form factor regarding (uncommanded?) ejection safety.
 
TomcatViP said:
So, lifted off in STOL mode and crashed just after. Probably an automatic ejection. Let´s hope that this was not a factor in the crash.
We can see that the a/c didn´t clear the hill at the end of the runway (the picture in the link are the best to see that).

Early news reported a female pilot, injured. If that is accurate, It would be interesting to follow the deliberation around her form factor regarding (uncommanded?) ejection safety.
Click to expand...
I see the picture with the fan door open. But I can't understand why they would be doing an STO on a 10,000-foot runway, especially with a long flight ahead of them (sounds like it was supposed to be direct from ABQ/Kirtland AFB to Edwards).
 
TomcatViP said:
Yes. That fact opens a lot of question that is hard to come around at this stage.
Click to expand...

I have this weird thought that maybe the fan door deployed in error (either mechanical fault or operator error). But it's far too early to speculate.
 
Bruno Anthony said:
My mistake on lack of clarity I guess.
Post in thread 'Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF)'
https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/th...ii-joint-strike-fighter-jsf.17732/post-680067

Competition after competition of static RCS testing the f-35 won hands down. In terms of aeronautical performance, the f-35 lost at engine start up.
Click to expand...
Dead is dead. The F-104 Starfighter would out run any fighter on the market today. Does that mean they're all junk?
 
TomS said:
I have this weird thought that maybe the fan door deployed in error (either mechanical fault or operator error). But it's far too early to speculate.
Click to expand...
The image shows the aircraft in full STOVL mode, the nozzle is down and control surfaces configured.
https://twitter.com/x/status/1795685392265691603
View: https://x.com/clashreport/status/1795685392265691603

Its possible the aircraft entered this mode un-commanded, but this doesn't look like something as simple as a single failure of the door.
 
Yes, this is the picture we discussed yesterday. You can see, as you said that both the nozzle is rotated and the ramp opened... but also that the aircraft is past the paved runway end.

Interestingly also, the series of shots suggest an attempt to turn port after liftoff.
 
MrTopaz said:
https://twitter.com/x/status/1795552433482960948
View: https://x.com/thenewarea51/status/1795552433482960948?s=46


I don’t know if the link will go through, and I don’t know if this guy is legit, or a loon, and I don’t know if the source is legit, but the ATC recordings in his thread make it look like the pilot was trying to put on a show.
Click to expand...

Sounds plausible but it was reported that the mishap pilot is a woman and that voice talking about an STO sure sounded like a man.
 
It´s a civilian flight. Aren´t they supposed to follow noise abatement departure procedure too?
Would that be possible that the pilot didn´t realize that he/she had selected STOL mode? Then a STOL takeoff attempt without afterburner would lead to that scenario...
[/conjunctural]
 
TomcatViP said:
It´s a civilian flight. Aren´t they supposed to follow noise abatement departure procedure too?
Would that be possible that the pilot didn´t realize that he/she had selected STOL mode? Then a STOL takeoff attempt without afterburner would lead to that scenario...
[/conjunctural]
Click to expand...

Not really a civilian aircraft. Lockheed has clarified that this was a government aircraft (accepted via a DD-250 in September 2023) with a government pilot from the Defense Contract Management Agency. They say it was one of the TR-2 evaluation aircraft that had been at Fort Worth for some modifications and was flying back to Edwards:

https://breakingdefense.com/2024/05...co-pilot-ejects-safely-but-sustains-injuries/"
TomS said:
Sounds plausible but it was reported that the mishap pilot is a woman and that voice talking about an STO sure sounded like a man.
Click to expand...

OK, digging back though the source articles, the only thing I see stating it was a female pilot is Tomcat's initial post. Aside from that, I see no identifying info on the pilot, and I am inclined to guess that the recording talking about doing an STO really is of the (male) pilot. Below is a more direct link to the snippet of ATC comms where he talks about wanting to do an STO, and the controller is also (I think) clearing him for a unrestricted climb. Which kinda does sound like he was setting up for an airshow departure.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1795649370643103794
View: https://twitter.com/thenewarea51/status/1795649370643103794
 
Last edited:
TomS said:
Not really a civilian aircraft. Lockheed has clarified that this was a government aircraft (accepted via a DD-250 in September 2023) with a government pilot from the Defense Contract Management Agency.
Click to expand...

And the F-35 JPO has finally gotten around to a statement, confirming that this was actually a USAF pilot flying the aircraft for the DCMA.

www.airandspaceforces.com

Air Force Pilot Was Flying F-35B in Crash at Kirtland

An Air Force pilot was at the controls of an F-35B in the TR-2 configuration which crashed at Kirtland Air Force Base on May 28.
www.airandspaceforces.com www.airandspaceforces.com

They haven't yet confirmed that this was a TR-3 test aircraft, but it seems likely.
 
That is the first time that the Lift Fan clutch disengaging in the F-35B since it entered service, it is a shame that it was testing for the TR-3. They had better check all clutches in the F-35Bs just in case.
 
FighterJock said:
That is the first time that the Lift Fan clutch disengaging in the F-35B since it entered service, it is a shame that it was testing for the TR-3. They had better check all clutches in the F-35Bs just in case.
Click to expand...
I doubt that, there was another -B loss caught completely on video that had the plane in question start going down at the nose and rise at the tail. Which is consistent with a loss of thrust in the Lift Fan and less power being taken out in the turbines aft.
 
@TomS : the suspicion for having a female pilot comes from KOB network station live feed reporting it as a She. The feed link is in the initial post.
 
Last edited:
FighterJock said:
That is the first time that the Lift Fan clutch disengaging in the F-35B since it entered service, it is a shame that it was testing for the TR-3. They had better check all clutches in the F-35Bs just in case.
Click to expand...
That is somewhat surprising, considering powerful clutches (such as the ones found in dragsters) have a lifetime of less than a dozen uses. But I thought that the clutch welding itself together is just as a common failure mode?
 
TomcatViP said:
@TomS : the suspicion for having a female pilot comes from KOB network station live feed reporting it as a She. The feed link is in the initial post.
Click to expand...

I can't find that specific bit now, but I'll take your word for it. Still, it seems to be an error in their reporting.
 
NMaude said:
Hasn't there been reliability problems with the lift-fan clutch in the past?
Click to expand...
It took a lot of R&D to get working right in the first place, but I'm only personally aware of one other crash that could potentially be attributable to a LiftFan or clutch failure.

As I understand it, the clutch is 50% carbon fiber brakes and 50% Top Fuel dragster clutch.
 
NMaude said:
Does the F-35B have an auto-eject mode just like the long retired Yak-38 Forger?
Click to expand...
Yes. It's linked to the conversion switch. On landing, the conversion switch immediately arms the auto-eject. When the pilot commands conversion to conventional mode after an STO, I'd guess that disarming the auto-eject is part of that sequence, probably once the main nozzle is the sole source of thrust and the doors are all closed. Once armed, the auto-eject is triggered by pitch and roll limits.
 

Similar threads

Please donate to support the forum.

Back
Top Bottom