Safety concerns raised as F-35 fighter jets involved in 10 accidents in 6 years
F-35 Warplanes Involved in 10 Accidents Since 2018
According to data from the Aviation Safety Network (ASN), F-35 warplanes, which are in the inventory of many countries, have been involved in 10 accidents since 2018. The development of these fighter jets, produced by the US company Lockheed Martin, began in 1995 as part of the Joint Strike Fighter program, with full capacity production starting 26 years later.
One of the earliest recorded accidents of an F-35B fighter jet occurred in 2016 when it caught fire due to a technical malfunction at the Marine Corps facility in Beaufort, South Carolina. The first recorded F-35 accident took place off the coast of South Carolina in 2018.
On September 28, 2018, a US Army F-35B fighter jet crashed during a training flight off the coast of South Carolina. Fortunately, the pilot was able to eject safely from the plane, which was determined to have crashed due to a manufacturing defect causing the engine fuel tube to explode during flight.
Subsequent accidents involving F-35 fighter jets from various countries, including Japan, the US, the UK, and South Korea, have occurred for various reasons such as technical malfunctions, uncontrolled speed during landing, and pilot error.
Concerns about the safety of F-35 warplanes were further highlighted in a recent incident on May 29, 2024, when a Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jet crashed near Sunport International Airport in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The pilot ejected safely before the crash, but sustained serious injuries.
Moreover, reports from the US Operational Test and Evaluation Directorate and the US Government Accountability Office have highlighted reliability, maintenance, and cost issues with the F-35 fleet. The reports point out that the F-35’s mission readiness rate fell below target, and the cost of sustaining the fleet has continued to rise significantly.
These incidents and reports raise questions about the reliability and safety of F-35 fighter jets, as well as the ongoing challenges in maintenance and cost management associated with these advanced aircraft.
