[Yo-Yo]

Now the military has halted deliveries on F-35B engines pending further investigation (which is a pretty good indication the pilot was exonerated).

Of course we will need to wait for the formal accident report, but from the video of the event that was posted, it seemed to me to be a loss of lift thrust that caused the accident.

Seeing uncharacteristic puffs of white smoke exiting the rear of the aircraft (while the exhaust nozzle was point down, so it had to have come from the engine bay area) just prior to the accident, and the way the aircraft dropped and then pitched nose forward after the hard bounce, it appears to me that either the clutch or the driveshaft for the front lift fan failed.

I also read another story in The Drive's War Zone that the F-35B can automatically eject the pilot without his/her command.

So the ejection could have been automatic once the aircraft returned to a safe ejection attitude after spinning on the ground.

But again that's just speculation and we'll have to wait a year for the final accident report.

[Boogieman]

“I also read another story in The Drive’s War Zone that the F-35B can automatically eject the pilot without his/her command.”

So I guess you gotta be careful what you say to her and don’t get too handsy on the first date.