An Air Force F-35A crashed in Alaska after a nearly hour-long in-air troubleshooting call with engineers failed to resolve a landing gear malfunction.
According to Military.com, a newly released investigation reveals that a midair malfunction during a training exercise led to the $196.5 million jet’s destruction and a forced ejection by the pilot, with frozen hydraulic fluid and maintenance errors identified as root causes.
The incident occurred on Jan. 28 at Eielson Air Force Base during a scheduled training mission. The F-35A Lightning II fighter jet experienced a critical issue with its landing gear mid-flight. Despite extensive efforts to resolve the problem, the aircraft became uncontrollable, forcing the pilot to eject just before impact.
Video captured the moment the aircraft exploded into flames, scattering debris across the airfield. Emergency crews arrived on the scene within one minute of the crash. The pilot survived with minor injuries and was transported to Bassett Army Community Hospital in Fairbanks.
The crash took place entirely within Eielson’s boundaries, according to a formal investigation report. The destroyed aircraft, valued at nearly $200 million, represented a significant loss for the U.S. Air Force. The 39-page report by the Accident Investigation Board was made public in early September.
Frozen Water in Hydraulic System to Blame
The investigation determined that the failure stemmed from contaminants in the F-35’s hydraulic system. Water had entered the hydraulic fluid and froze while the aircraft was airborne, preventing full deployment of the landing gear struts. This caused the aircraft’s sensors to misread the situation, mistakenly indicating that the plane was on the ground.
As a result of the sensor readings, the F-35’s control systems switched modes to what is used during ground operations. The jet then became uncontrollable during flight, necessitating the pilot’s ejection immediately after a second landing attempt. The pilot’s decision to eject prevented more serious injury or loss of life.
Col. Michael Lewis, who led the investigation, explained that this specific sensor failure event had never occurred in the F-35 fleet before. According to the report, the pilot initiated a conference call with engineers from Lockheed Martin shortly after the malfunction was noticed.
Troubleshooting Efforts Delay Critical Decisions
The aircraft stayed airborne for approximately 50 minutes as the pilot and engineers attempted to develop a plan. Lockheed engineers advised the pilot to try to center the nose wheel and attempt a landing. Two touch-and-go landings were attempted, with the second resulting in the uncontrollable flight condition.
After the second attempt, the aircraft's systems misinterpreted its position, and the pilot was left with no option other than to eject. The investigation found that this transition to ground flight mode was triggered by incorrect weight-on-wheels sensor feedback from the frozen gear. These sensors control many of the jet’s functions depending on whether it is in the air or on the ground. The report acknowledged that those involved in the troubleshooting call acted thoughtfully under the circumstances. However, it also noted that if the team had fully considered the possibility of a sensor misread, they might have opted for a planned landing or immediate ejection rather than making multiple landing attempts.
Report Faults Hazmat Personnel and Maintenance Gaps
Along with analyzing the pilot’s actions, the report dug into possible systemic issues at the base. It found that the hydraulic fluid barrels had been stored outdoors during inclement weather, which may have allowed water to contaminate the fluid. The airmen responsible for these materials belonged to the 355th Fighter Squadron. The board criticized what it described as a lack of discipline and poor recordkeeping among the hazardous materials team. These conditions likely contributed to the contamination that ultimately led to the mechanical failure. At the time of the crash, these airmen had recently returned from deployment, and the stored equipment had received little oversight.
In April 2024, Lockheed Martin issued guidance warning of potential issues related to faulty weight-on-wheels sensor readings. Still, the report does not suggest that this broader warning was adequately considered in this specific incident or by those making decisions during the flight.
Crash Follows Broader Concerns About Air Force Safety
This crash occurred just weeks after Gen. David Allvin, the U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff, called for a force-wide safety initiative. The campaign was in response to a year that saw significant losses: 47 service members and $1.5 billion in aircraft and weapons due to avoidable mishaps, according to Allvin.
Gen. Allvin, who announced his retirement earlier in September, highlighted a need to restructure safety protocols and procedures across the service. The findings of this F-35 crash may now add urgency to efforts aimed at reforming maintenance and response standards. Though no lives were lost in the January incident, the crash underscored the high cost and complex risks tied to the advanced F-35 program. With each fighter jet costing nearly $200 million, both the mechanical integrity of the aircraft and the human systems supporting them are under renewed scrutiny.
