F35 bad landing and pilot ejection

[Brian Malone]

This video shows an F35 having technical/operational issues while landing and the pilot ejecting.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CmNmjXdA48D/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

A couple of questions for those in the know about aircraft errors/ military situations:
1. This seems like the aircraft controls went out of control and nosed the plane over after a seemingly fine vertical landing. Is there an intrinsic failure mode for VTOL operation that makes this more likely?
2. The pilot ejected but it did not seem to me the parachute was fully expanded and did not appear to fully reduce the descent speed of the pilot. Possibly, the pilot suffered injury? Was this airplane so damaged the pilot had to eject rather than it the plane shut down and then just climb out and jump down?

 

[WKTaylor]

The ejection went by the book. Pilot might be bruised and have back/leg problems but they are alive... might even fly again! This is not a video than can ever be forgotten. Lucky that the landing was being recorded [with clarity]... although the HUD/air-data-computer/recordings WILL have highly valuable video and systems-data related to the circumstances.

It is far better to eject, than to be trapped up-side-down in the cockpit of jet with a hot-still-running engine and jet-fuel! This decision might be one of the hardest this Marine has ever made. The decision to eject came awfully late in the sequence... typical of most fighter pilots who want to 'succeed' at all costs. They MAY have delayed in-order to initiate 'fuel-cutoff' to shut-down the engine, before... finally... 'pulling the handles' while tipping-over. There are also all-too-similar videos for AV-8 Harriers.

HOWEVER... NO DOUBT... they will be able to talk with the mishap board... not be a body on an autopsy table.



Regards, Wil Taylor
o Trust - But Verify!
o For those who believe, no proof is required; for those who cannot believe, no proof is possible. [variation, Stuart Chase]
o Unfortunately, in science what You 'believe' is irrelevant. ["Orion", HBA forum]
o Only fools and charlatans know everything and understand everything." -Anton Chekhov

 

[Brian Malone]

WKTaylor - thanks for the insights!

This video is definitely one of a situation going sideways and fast.

 

[WKTaylor]

Here is another Landing-Gone-Bad and the crew ejected just-in-time... Yep... this would have been fatal..

Regards, Wil Taylor
o Trust - But Verify!
o For those who believe, no proof is required; for those who cannot believe, no proof is possible. [variation, Stuart Chase]
o Unfortunately, in science what You 'believe' is irrelevant. ["Orion", HBA forum]
o Only fools and charlatans know everything and understand everything." -Anton Chekhov

 

[WKTaylor]

BTW... I hope everyone spots WHY this photo is VERY-disturbing to me, a former [10-Yr] F-15C/D depot liaison, and field-service, engineer?

Regards, Wil Taylor
o Trust - But Verify!
o For those who believe, no proof is required; for those who cannot believe, no proof is possible. [variation, Stuart Chase]
o Unfortunately, in science what You 'believe' is irrelevant. ["Orion", HBA forum]
o Only fools and charlatans know everything and understand everything." -Anton Chekhov

 

[verymadmac]

Is the F15's port engine shut down, or just an afterburner failure?

AS to the F35 accident, it looks to be accelerating downward in descent, so is maybe an engine power issue.

 

[3DDave]

On the F-15 - I'd say the hack paint job. That's what happens when you use masking tape before the undercoat is completely dry.

 

[Comcokid]

On the F-35.
It was a new plane undergoing tests and still in the ownership of Lockheed Martin. Here is a link from the Engineering Disasters forum.

https://news.usni.org/2022/12/15/f-35b-joint-strike-fighter-crashes-in-texas

I would guess the front fan had some kind of failure, the test pilot kept it level, but had to set it down hard. It then bounced and without the front fan performing properly it rotated onto its nose.

 

[3DDave]

The flight computer is responsible for keeping it level.

 

[WKTaylor]

Comokid... YES... looks like a lift-fan problem of some-kind...

However, as the jet touched-down hard... and then pitched-forward... there is obvious thrust still pouring-out out of the down-turned tail-pipe... making it a bucking-snorting bronco on/around it's nose. Then... just after the pilot commits to eject... suddenly it is obvious that the engine-thrust from the tail-pipe 'dies' completely. This rapid loss of thrust had to be a result of 'fuel cutoff', totally shutting-down the engine.

Apparently this was a factory test pilot... so reactions appear practiced and positive.

BTW... the pilot could have delayed ejection and survived... but there was a razor-thin between line between remaining upright and 'stepping-over-the-side'... and flipping-over and being trapped/crushed... which likely made the decision to eject 'easier'... especially for the spouse and kids...

NOTE1.
Many decades ago an F-16A lost it engine over the desert. The pilot found a 'long/smooth' desert dirt road and elected to do an emergency 'dead-stick' landing on-it. At about 300-ft and 120+kts, he realized that landing on the [now visually rough] dirt road was a 'bad idea'... so he ejected, wings level at about 150-ft AGL and everything 'worked as advertised'... and he was essentially 'OK'.

YEP... the now-abandoned-jet, which was in SAS and in stabilized descent, gear-down, aligned with the road... touched-down straight-ahead on the road and eventually veered-off into the desert. The jet was upright, mostly undamaged [survivable]... and the hydrazine-powered-APU was still running [when he 'gathered-himself-up' and hiked-over to be with the jet].

HOWEVER,EVERYONE agreed that 'rolling-the-dice' to stay with the jet thru touchdown was a bad idea: ejection was the only 'right answer'. BUT, EVERYONE was impressed that the jet had so little damage and he'd done every thing he could to save it!

Regards, Wil Taylor
o Trust - But Verify!
o For those who believe, no proof is required; for those who cannot believe, no proof is possible. [variation, Stuart Chase]
o Unfortunately, in science what You 'believe' is irrelevant. ["Orion", HBA forum]
o Only fools and charlatans know everything and understand everything." -Anton Chekhov

 

[Comcokid]

Apparently the F-3B5 that crashed was a modified version to be shipped to Israel. Israel has grounded the F-35 they have.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-grounds-11-f-35-jets-after-us-fighter-crashes-during-test/