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| Landing Not Working, US F-35B Stealth Fighter Jet Damaged After Landing in Japan |
Tokyo - A United States (US) Marine Corps F-35B stealth fighter jet was damaged after making an emergency landing at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan, on Thursday. The landing gear failed, causing the fighter's nose to hit the ground.
1st Marine Aircraft Wing spokesman Major Rob Martins, in a statement to Stars and Stripes, said that suspected electrical problems prompted the pilots to land the F-35B Lightning II. According to him, the aircraft assigned to VMFA-121 at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni at Kadena Air Base did not experience an incident until around 1:40 p.m.
Kadena Air Base is home to the Air Force's 18th Wing. According to Martins, as the fifth-generation fighter was pulled into the flight path, the front landing gear malfunctioned and the nose of the plane fell to the ground. He said the incident did not cause any casualties. Meanwhile, a video broadcast by NHK on Twitter showed the F-35B pulling up to the taxiway with its nose down.
“The pilots did as they were trained and chose the safest option, landing the aircraft safely according to standard procedures. Operating our aircraft safely and effectively is our top priority and our pilots take the utmost care to ensure the safety of the flight crew and surrounding areas," Martins said in a statement, which was launched Friday (2/12/2022).
The fighter jet was conducting standard training operations in local range at the time of the incident. After the plane landed, it was surrounded by fire engines and emergency vehicles. It's unclear how much damage was done to the fighter.
The military defines accidents by class from A to D. Class A accidents involve repair costs in excess of USD 2 million or the death or permanent disability of a service member. Class D accidents involve a loss of $25,000 to $59,999 in property damage and injuries ranging from requiring first aid to a day's absence from work.
The US Marine Corps has had three Class A accidents of manned aircraft in 2022, according to data on the Naval Safety Command website. A spokesman for the Okinawa Defense Bureau, an offshoot of Japan's Defense Ministry, said late on Thursday it was aware of "the nose of the F35 touching the ground" but was waiting for details.
A spokesperson for the Okinawa Prefectural Military Bases Affairs Division said it was waiting for information from the defense bureau. Governor Denny Tamaki has yet to comment publicly on the incident. The short takeoff, vertical landing variant of the fighter has been plagued by high costs and technical problems from its inception.