Posted on 11/24/2021 7:18:58 AM PST by DFG
Investigators fear a £100million F-35 fighter jet crashed into the Mediterranean while taking off because the cheap rain covers had not been taken off properly.
Officials believe the rain cover was sucked into the F-35B Lightning II stealth plane's engine as it took off from the flight deck of the HMS Queen Elizabeth, forcing the pilot to eject.
Naval personnel reported seeing the cover floating in the sea nearby Britain's flagship aircraft carrier after the accident in the Mediterranean on Sunday.
Sources said the RAF pilot realised the issue and tried to abort take-off but was unable to stop the plane before the end of the ship's runway.
The UK was on Tuesday working with the US and Italy to recover the aircraft, believed to be more than a mile below the surface, amid fears Russia would try salvage the wreckage to uncover secret tech onboard.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
And the average age of sailors working there is 19-20. Talk about growing up in a hurry....
The blame for the plane falls mainly on the rain.
can somebody pls explain to me HOW the covers weren’t sucked in on engine start and shredded/burned out the back???
something stinks
The Millennium Falcon could takeoff and fly covered in a tarp
If it was seen floating near by, it was not ingested by the engine.
It will probably be made a Static Display or rendered out for parts.
(((Ring-Ring)))
Hello, Vern’s Aviation Salvage this is Vern how can I help you today ?
Customer- Hi Vern I’m looking for some parts for an F-35B Lightning II.
Vern- Well Sir you’re in luck, I just got one in the other day. The Queen’s Navy managed to drown one by tossing it off the Deck into the Mediterranean Sea. Now exactly what parts are you looking for ?
Customer- WOW !!! That’s perfect because I’m looking for a Tea Service Set with the little table with the Velcro©️ on it to hold the Service-ware during maneuvers ?
Vern- Yes Sir I do have one with slight water damage.
Customer- LOL ! How much do you want for it ?
Vern- I’ll let you have it for €27000.00
LOL... see#43
Wokeness & diversity raise their evil heads...
Maybe it got stuck in some of the ducting going to the Puffers ?
This is perfectly understandable if covid jabs for the air and ground crews are mandatory.
It’s all in the training: there are no red flags anywhere. Not a one. No concerns. Nothing to see.
Fake news.
Among currently flying U.S. Military aircraft, the Air Force's F-15 Eagle has a lifetime Class A accident rate of 2.36 per 100,000 hours of flight, with a spike early in the Eagle's flying career and a relatively low accident rate 10-30 years after reaching operational status. The F-22 Raptor has a relatively high rate at 5.49 per 100,000 hours.So, the F-16 has a 21% higher Class A rate than the F-15. That may partially be explained by the 9G turn capability of the F-16, versus 7G for the F-15 resulting in more blackouts for F-16 pilots.Among the aircraft the F-35 is meant to replace, the new fighter's safety record is par for the course or an improvement. The Navy's F/A-18 Hornet averaged approximately 2.84 Class As per 100,000 hours between 1990 and 2013, while the F-16 has a lifetime Class A rate of 3.45 per 100,000 hours. In 2002, the Los Angeles Times reported that the lifetime Class A rate for the AV-8B Harrier was 11.44 per 100,000 hours.
All that said, the F-35 has been remarkably safe so far. It had zero crashes in its first (most dangerous) 100,000 flight hours.
A crash due to an entirely preventable crew mistake does nothing to tarnish its record...
not buying it, it can pick you up off the ground, chew you up and spit you out...
now if it was the vert-fan, i don’t know it that’d be strong enough to suck it past the variable guide vanes on top, and not visible from deck level it won’t be seen except by the plane captain, maybe...
Dang.
Much of the F-35B evaluation, and later the initial training of US Marine pilots, was undertaken by British former Harrier test pilots. What goes round comes round.
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