Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 03:13am on 29 Aug 2025,Friday International
A U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II crashed at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, on January 28, 2025, after the pilot engaged in a tense 50-minute mid-air conference call with Lockheed Martin engineers to resolve a landing-gear malfunction. Efforts to troubleshoot included two "touch and go" attempts, but hydraulic icing—caused by water-contaminated fluid—caused the nose and right main landing gear to freeze in a skewed position, triggering false "on-ground" sensors. The jet spiraled uncontrollably, compelling the pilot to eject safely. Investigators cited poor oversight of hazardous-material handling and crew-and-engineer decision-making as contributing factors.
