An F-35A fighter jet belonging to the Air Force's 17th Fighter Wing made an emergency landing at Cheongju International Airport during a night mission on the 24th.
At a regular briefing held at the Ministry of National Defense in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on the 25th, Air Force Seoul Public Affairs Team Leader Jang Dongha stated, "An F-35A aircraft based at Cheongju Air Base made an emergency landing at around 6:46 p.m. during a night mission due to a hydraulic system malfunction."
On the 27th, the stealth fighter jet F-35A was exhibited at the media day for the 71st Armed Forces Day celebration held at Daegu Air Force Base. Photo by Kim Hyunmin kimhyun81@
Jang explained, "The aircraft made a normal emergency landing according to procedure and came to a stop on the runway, but the nose gear collapsed while stationary, causing part of the nose to touch the runway. The unit is currently investigating both the circumstances that led to the emergency landing and the cause of the nose gear collapse after stopping."
It has been reported that the F-35A sustained some damage to the underside of its nose. Jang added, "The exact extent of the damage is still being determined."
The Air Force plans to conduct a joint investigation into the cause of the incident with the F-35A manufacturer. Jang stated, "The investigation will be carried out together with the manufacturer. Currently, the F-35A is grounded, and a decision on future flights will be made after a comprehensive review of all safety aspects."
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