F-35 Sets Itself On Fire – What Went Wrong This Time
Lockheed-Martin
Hot Under The Collar.
Another day, another problem with the F-35. Recently a group of F-35s was grounded due to a faulty coolant tube and now a new issue has emerged. Recently at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho during a routine exercise an F-35A caught fire on the tarmac. The fire began towards the aft of the jet and spread before being extinguished. The pilot was evacuated without sustaining any injury and is in good health.
“The fire was extinguished quickly. As a precautionary measure, four 61st Aircraft Maintenance Unit Airmen, three Airmen from the 366th Maintenance Group and the 61st Fighter Squadron pilot were transported to the base medical center for standard evaluation.”
–Â Captain Mark Graff (Air Force Spokesman)
An investigation into the matter revealed that the cause may have been a strong tailwind blowing as the engine ignited. So now we see $100 million go up in flames but thankfully no one was hurt in the process. The F-35 program will advance ahead despite the many mishaps with the fifth-generation fighter. This clip from The Fiscal Times shows a look into the many problems the F-35 has encountered during development.
