Final Conclusions On Bizarre Crash Of ‘Zombie’ F-35B That Flew Without A Pilot For 64 Miles Released

The Wa ^ | October 31, 2024 | Tyler Rogoway

[Red Badger]

The USMC has released its final conclusions regarding its investigation into the bizarre loss of an F-35B that crashed in South Carolina on September 17th of last year. The Marines say that the mishap was caused primarily by pilot error, stating that “the pilot incorrectly diagnosed an out-of-controlled flight emergency and ejected from a flyable aircraft, albeit during a heavy rainstorm compounded with aircraft electrical and display malfunctions.” The jet went on to continue flying without a pilot for over 60 miles before slamming into a field. Thankfully, nobody was injured as a result of the incident. You can read our last in a number of reports on the F-35B’s ‘ghost ship’-like mishap here.

The release from the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing summarizes the circumstances of the crash as they are now known:

“On the afternoon of Sept. 17, 2023, a U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter, assigned to Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron (VMFAT) 501, 2nd MAW, crashed in South Carolina. The pilot safely ejected from the aircraft while attempting to execute a climbout during a missed approach in instrument meteorological conditions and heavy precipitation near Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina. The aircraft continued to fly unmanned for 11 minutes and 21 seconds before impacting in a rural area approximately 64 nautical miles northeast of the airfield in Williamsburg County, South Carolina.

…

The investigation concluded the pilot’s decision to eject was ultimately inappropriate because commanded-flight inputs were in progress at the time of ejection, standby flight instrumentation was providing accurate data, and the aircraft’s backup radio was, at least partially, functional. Furthermore, the aircraft continued to fly for an extended period after ejection.”

F-35B in STOVL configuration. (USAF) The release goes on to describe other issues that contributed to the loss of the F-35B, including a cascade of systems failures throughout the jet:

“Contributing factors to the mishap included an electrical event during flight, which induced failures of both primary radios, the transponder, the tactical air navigation system, and the instrument landing system; and the probability that the helmet-mounted display and panoramic cockpit display were not operational for at least three distinct periods. This caused the pilot to become disoriented in challenging instrument and meteorological conditions. This electrical malfunction was not related to any maintenance activities. All preventative, scheduled, and unscheduled maintenance conducted on the aircraft was correct and in keeping with established standards.

The pilot was qualified and current to conduct the scheduled flight. The flight was scheduled, planned, briefed, and conducted properly, professionally, and in accordance with applicable orders and directives. The forecasted and observed weather at the time of the mishap supported the decision to land back at Joint Base Charleston.

The investigation concludes the mishap aircraft’s extended unmanned flight was due to stability provided by the F-35’s advanced automatic flight-control systems.

The loss of positive radar contact with the mishap aircraft resulted from a failed transponder caused by the electrical malfunction and the aircraft’s eventual descent below the air-traffic control radar horizon. The loss of positive contact could also be partially attributed to the F-35B’s low-observable technology.”

The release also discusses the recovery and remediation efforts once the wreck was found on September 18th, noting that “The mishap resulted in no ground-related injuries, but it did result in property damage in the form of lost forested land and crops.”

Finally, it concludes that “there were no punitive actions recommended.”

You can check out the initial detailed report on the crash published earlier this year here.

So there you have it, finally we get the USMC’s conclusions to what was a the time a very strange mishap that thankfully ended up with just the loss of an aircraft, albeit a prized and very expensive one.

Contact the author: Tyler@twz.com

[Red Badger]

Aviation Ping!........................

[Red Badger]

Aviation Ping!........................

[Sirius Lee]

I hope this doesn’t negatively impact his or her promotion.

[Red Badger]

Promotion to civilian...............

[notdownwidems]

they’re promoting zir <sarc

[rlmorel]

I don't know-I feel more sympathetic. On the surface...it sounds like stupidity. But landing in "a missed approach in instrument meteorological conditions and heavy precipitation" and he experienced this:

"...an electrical event during flight, which induced failures of both primary radios, the transponder, the tactical air navigation system, and the instrument landing system; and the probability that the helmet-mounted display and panoramic cockpit display were not operational for at least three distinct periods. This caused the pilot to become disoriented in challenging instrument and meteorological conditions..."

I don't know. Can't see outside the cockpit. Helmet display isn't working. Regular displays not working.

That's just crazy scary to me, especially in a plane meant to fly with the aid of computer inputs.

That is sphincter-tightening for even the most experienced pilots. I can't find it in myself to blame the pilot. For all he knew, the plane was diving to the ground or getting ready to stall in a nose-up attitude! And being that close to the ground, because I don't think he was at altitude.

[hal ogen]

DEI?

[Worldtraveler once upon a time]

--- “the pilot incorrectly diagnosed an out-of-controlled flight emergency and ejected from a flyable aircraft, albeit during a heavy rainstorm compounded with aircraft electrical and display malfunctions.” ....

I was outside gardening when the over-flight went by, far too low and far too loud. Clear skies. The area where it finally crashed also showed clear skies. The article and conclusion strike me as an attempt to end the investigation, that the public will forget.

[yukong]

The Marine Times reported: “A pilot who ejected from a malfunctioning F-35B in heavy rain over South Carolina last year — which kept flying on autopilot for 64 nautical miles before crashing — was fired from his command of a prestigious squadron as a result of the mishap.”

The article went on to say: “Col. Charles “Tre” Del Pizzo, 49, confirmed to Marine Corps Times he was the pilot who ejected from the F-35B over Charleston, South Carolina, on Sept. 17, 2023, and parachuted into a resident’s backyard. And in a written statement, Del Pizzo said Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Eric Smith ordered him to be fired from command of Marine Test and Evaluation Squadron 1 after reviewing the report on the crash investigation.”

[kenmcg]

Name of the pilot? Pilot error, one can imagine.

[New Perspective]

No, Ward Carrol has a very informative channel discusses it. He was a former Tomcat RIO.

Ward Carroll F-35 Report

[mikey_hates_everything]

Are they going to bill the officer for his missing gear?

[WhoisAlanGreenspan?]

"while attempting to execute a climbout during a missed approach in instrument meteorological conditions and heavy precipitation"

I agree with you.

[rdcbn1]

If the pilot lost instruments and radios, had a major electrical and systems failure at low altitude on a missed approach in heavy rain and actual instrument flying conditions that's a pretty serious event in any airplane, much less a high performance jet.

Especially if the helmet visor display system was not working or cutting out.

Not sure if an ejection was the only option but I'm not going to be too judgey on this one.

[rlmorel]

I wasn’t kidding-as I read that, I visualized it perfectly in my mind. He couldn’t have been more than a thousand feet if he was climbing out. At that low altitude, vertigo, no visibility, no instruments...in an unstable plane when manually controlled...

I fully get why he might have bailed. I hope other pilots on the board investigating understood it too. Embarrassing, but...easily understood.

I read recently where a B-36 back in the Fifties had an engine fire that engulfed the wing as they flew over the Pacific at night off the coast of Oregon (I think) while it had a nuclear weapon aboard without the fissionable material in it.

They jettisoned the conventionally explosive bomb, but couldn’t put the fire out so they all bailed out and were saved.

The fire must have gone out on its own, and the plane flew inland for several hundred miles with no crew before crashing into a mountain in the Northwest United States somewhere.

[Bigg Red]

mark

[T.B. Yoits]

For all he knew, the plane was diving to the ground or getting ready to stall in a nose-up attitude.

The report says his instrument landing system (ILS) was not operational for three distinct periods but does not say that his altimeter, airspeed indicator, and attitude indicator were malfunctioning. Those instruments (and his turn-and-bank indicator) would show him if he was approaching stall or going nose-up.

[xxqqzz]

Seems like a difficult situation, particularly with a fighter close to the ground. Pilot was apparently a full colonel with Spanish surname. Probably not making general.

[T.B. Yoits]

From the article: The investigation concluded the pilot’s decision to eject was ultimately inappropriate because commanded-flight inputs were in progress at the time of ejection, standby flight instrumentation was providing accurate data, and the aircraft’s backup radio was, at least partially, functional. Furthermore, the aircraft continued to fly for an extended period after ejection.”

That reads like a routine simulator training exercise. The transponder likely only became and issue because ATC couldn't detect the plane to tell the pilot where he was.