Aerospace
U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Nose Gear Collapse Incident At Kadena Air Base
The U.S. Marine Corps F-35B stealth aircraft was damaged today at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan
The U.S. Marine Corps F-35B stealth aircraft was damaged today at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan, as a result of a nose-gear collapse. The short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) plane was being towed when the incident occurred; having just returned to the base for a precautionary landing. The aircraft is based at the Marine Corps Air Station in Iwakuni, Japan.
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Video of today's incident with the F-35 fighter jet of the 121st squadron of the #USMC at the Kadena Air Force Base on the #Japanese island of #Okinawa
When towing the aircraft, the front landing gear dropped.pic.twitter.com/xIkJZYxXns
— Indo-Pacific News – Geo-Politics & Military News (@IndoPac_Info) December 1, 2022
After the F-35B had touched down and was being towed back to the flight line at around 1:40 PM local time, the Incident happened. A video shows the aeroplane being towed while unusually banging up and down. After that, the nose gear oleo then gives way and the aircraft ends up sitting on its nose on the taxiway. No injuries were reported to any of those involved and the jet was soon surrounded by firefighting and other emergency vehicles.
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The “Green Knights” of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121 (VMFA-121) were flying a jet, and Maj. Rob Martins, a spokesperson for the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, indicated in a release that the pilot had to return to base due to a suspected electrical issue.
“The pilot did as instructed and picked the safest alternative, safely landing the aircraft in accordance with standard procedures… Our aviators take tremendous steps to protect the safety of the aircrew and the surrounding areas, and operating our aircraft safely and successfully is a high concern.” The F-35B was on a routine training mission using local ranges at the time of the incident.
