Pilot error blamed for crash of F-35 that continued flying for 11 minutes after ejection, investigation finds

A Marine Corps investigation found that the crash of an F-35 stealth fighter jet that was missing for more than 24 hours after its pilot ejected was caused by pilot error, but multiple system failures and bad weather contributed the incident.

An F-35B jet was flying in heavy rain near Joint Base Charleston on September 17, 2023, when the pilot ejected and landed in a North Charleston neighborhood. But according to a Marine Corps study, the F-35 remained airborne for about 11 minutes after ejection due to the plane’s autonomous flight control systems. issued Today.

Thanks in part to the plane’s stealth coating, it took about 30 hours for authorities to find the plane – during which social media users put forward a number of strange theories and jokes about what could have happened. It was eventually found 64 nautical miles northeast of Joint Base Charleston.

Investigators blamed the crash on the pilot, but said an “electrical event” caused multiple system failures – including the radios, transponder, tactical air navigation system and instrument landing system. The helmet mounted displayThe pilot’s primary display system and the panoramic cockpit display were not operational at least three times, according to the investigation, causing the pilot to become disoriented during the heavy rainstorm.

“The pilot incorrectly declared an uncontrollable emergency and was ejected from a flyable aircraft, albeit during a heavy rainstorm, exacerbated by aircraft electrical and display failures,” the investigation said.

According to the report, the pilot had extensive experience with the AV-8B Harrier aircraft but was a “relative novice” in the F-35B.

After the crash, authorities were unable to find the fifth-generation jet because the plane’s transponder failed due to an electrical malfunction, the investigation found, and the plane’s stealth coating made it much more difficult to locate than a traditional airplane.

“The loss of positive radar contact with the accident aircraft was the result of a defective transponder caused by the electrical failure and the aircraft’s eventual descent below the air traffic control radar horizon. The loss of positive contact can also be partially attributed to the F-35B’s low-observability technology,” the study said.

After the accident and two fatal Marine Corps plane crashes, the service ordered a two-day air raid stand up.