F-35 Mishap at Eglin
Investigation underway into F-35 mishap; plane grounded
By Wendy Victoria for NWFDailyNews.com, August 23, 2018
EGLIN AFB — The F-35 involved in a mishap Wednesday afternoon has been grounded until an investigation and damage assessment can be completed by the Air Force Safety Investigation Board.
Those investigations can take up to 30 days, according to Lena Lopez, a spokeswoman for the 33rd Fighter Wing.
The pilot reported an in-flight emergency before landing the F-35A Lightning II just before 1 p.m. Wednesday. After the plane was parked, the front landing gear collapsed.
The incident happened within view of motorists passing by on State Road 85. The plane has since been removed from the runway, the spokeswoman said.
In an unrelated incident, an F-35 hit a bird during a training mission Wednesday. The plane wasn’t damaged and the pilot wasn’t injured, Lopez said. The strike was discovered when the mission was completed and the plane had landed.
