WASHINGTON — A U.S. Air Force pilot spent nearly an hour on a live conference call with Lockheed Martin engineers in a last-ditch attempt to resolve a landing gear malfunction before his F-35A Lightning II fighter jet crashed in Alaska earlier this year, according to an accident report released this week.
Details of the January Crash
The incident occurred on January 28, 2025, at Eielson Air Force Base near Fairbanks, Alaska. The $200 million fifth-generation fighter jet went down in a fiery explosion after plunging directly into the ground. The pilot successfully ejected and suffered only minor injuries.
Video footage captured the jet dropping nose-first and erupting into a massive fireball, underscoring the catastrophic failure of one of the Air Force’s most advanced aircraft.
The Air Force’s Accident Investigation Board attributed the crash primarily to ice contamination in the hydraulic lines of the jet’s nose and main landing gear, which prevented them from deploying properly.
Landing Gear Malfunction and Emergency Call
The report states that shortly after takeoff, the pilot discovered the landing gear would not retract fully. When he attempted to lower it again, the nose gear locked at an angle to the left, leaving the jet unable to stabilize.
After exhausting onboard troubleshooting checklists, the pilot entered into a 50-minute airborne conference call with five Lockheed Martin engineers, including a senior software engineer, a flight safety engineer, and three landing gear specialists. During the call, engineers walked the pilot through potential fixes as the aircraft circled the base.
Despite their efforts, two attempted “touch-and-go” landings—where the plane briefly touches the runway before taking off again—failed to reset the nose gear. These attempts made the situation worse, jamming both the left and right main landing gears and rendering them inoperable.
Aircraft Systems Entered Wrong Mode
At that point, onboard sensors mistakenly signaled that the jet was on the ground. As a result, its systems switched into automated ground-operation mode, making the plane uncontrollable while airborne. With no safe landing possible, the pilot was forced to eject.
The Air Force report highlighted that this system failure was a critical factor in the crash: “The F-35 was operating as though it was on the ground when flying,” investigators wrote.
Findings From the Investigation
An inspection of the wreckage revealed that nearly one-third of the hydraulic fluid in both the nose and right main landing gear systems contained water, when no water should have been present. This contamination froze in the sub-zero conditions, disabling the hydraulics.
The investigation also noted a striking oversight: Lockheed Martin had circulated a maintenance newsletter in April 2024 warning about potential hydraulic icing issues in extreme cold weather. The advisory specifically cautioned that the problem could make it “difficult for the pilot to maintain control of the aircraft.”
Investigators concluded that if the engineers had referenced this bulletin during the airborne call, they might have recommended an immediate full stop landing or planned ejection, rather than attempting additional touch-and-go maneuvers.
Broader Implications and Previous Incidents
The crash is not the only incident linked to hydraulic icing at Eielson. Just nine days later, another F-35 at the same base experienced a similar problem but was able to land safely.
The report further cited failures in hazardous material oversight and improper hydraulic servicing procedures as contributing factors. These lapses highlighted broader concerns about maintenance standards and accountability within the F-35 program.
Lockheed Martin, the jet’s manufacturer, has referred questions about the report back to the Air Force, emphasizing that the findings fall under military jurisdiction.
A Costly Loss for the Air Force
The destroyed F-35, with an estimated value of $200 million, represents a significant financial blow as the Air Force continues to expand its fleet of the advanced stealth fighters. The crash also underscores ongoing challenges with the aircraft, which has faced years of technical hurdles and cost overruns since its introduction.
While the pilot survived with only minor injuries, the incident raises pressing concerns about cold-weather reliability, emergency procedures, and the adequacy of maintenance practices at U.S. air bases.
The Air Force has not yet announced whether additional policy or procedural changes will be implemented in response to the findings.