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On Tuesday, a Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jet crashed shortly after taking off from Kirklands Air Force Base in New Mexico. The pilot managed to eject, but was taken to hospital with serious injuries. This is yet another accident involving the aircraft, raising concerns about its safety and reliability.
On Tuesday afternoon (28), an F-35, manufactured by Lockheed Martin, crashed shortly after taking off from Kirklands air base, in New Mexico. The pilot managed to eject before impact and was taken to hospital with serious injuries. To the pictures show the F-35 in a normal flying position before the crash, suggesting that the accident may have been caused by a loss of engine power.
This accident involved the F-35B version, which is operated by the United States Marine Corps and is known for its short takeoff and vertical landing capabilities. This type of accident once again raises discussions about the reliability of the F-35, which has already suffered several crashes in recent years.
In the last five years, since 2019, a total of 10 F-35s have been lost in accidents around the world
The causes range from human error to technical problems. For example, in 2019, a Japanese F-35 crashed due to pilot spatial disorientation. In 2020, two F-35s were lost, one due to pilot fatigue and oxygen system failure, and another after a collision with a KC-130 during aerial refueling.
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In 2021, a British F-35 crashed into the sea after a failed takeoff because the military forgot to remove a protection from the engine's air intake. As of 2022, four F-35s have been lost, three due to mechanical problems and one due to pilot error, including a crash during an unsuccessful landing attempt on an aircraft carrier.
In 2023, there was a curious incident where the pilot ejected and the fighter continued flying alone for several kilometers before crashing.
And now, in 2024, another fighter of the same model was lost in this recent accident in Kirklands. Despite these incidents, it is important to note that, out of a fleet of more than 1.000 F-35s in operation, only four accidents were caused by technical problems. Comparatively, another popular aircraft, the F-16, had at least 15 crashes in the same period.
However, the F-35 is the military project costliest in history, which means each accident receives a lot of attention and raises questions about the viability and safety of this advanced Lockheed Martin aircraft.
