Air Force: "Hydraulic Hose Rupture Caused F-35A Emergency Landing...Flights Resumed"

The Air Force has concluded that the emergency landing incident involving an F-35A fighter jet on the 24th was caused by a ruptured hydraulic hose, and has resumed flights of this aircraft model.

At a briefing held at the Ministry of National Defense in Yongsan-gu, Seoul on the 27th, Jang Dongha, head of the Air Force Seoul Public Affairs Team, stated, "We have determined that the warning light was triggered due to a hydraulic fluid leak caused by the rupture of the hydraulic hose located in front of the left main gear." The hydraulic hose is a device that supplies hydraulic pressure to open the main gear doors.

On the 1st, in celebration of Armed Forces Day, the F-35A, being unveiled to the public for the first time, is exhibited at the '71st Armed Forces Day Ceremony' held at Daegu Air Force Base (11th Fighter Wing). / Daegu = Photo by Joint Press Corps

Jang further explained the reason for the nose wheel collapsing after the emergency landing, saying, "A problem in the hydraulic system caused abnormal operation due to residual pressure, which resulted in the unlocking of the nose gear's locking mechanism." He added, "Currently, part of the aircraft's lower nose surface is damaged, but there is no damage to any critical equipment."

Accordingly, the Air Force has established safety measures and will begin a phased resumption of F-35A flights from the afternoon of November 27. Prior to this, the Air Force conducted a special safety inspection of the entire hydraulic and landing gear systems before flight, and only aircraft that have completed these inspections will be deployed for missions. Jang stated, "As a preventive measure against nose gear collapse, we plan to implement a procedure where, in the event of an abnormal situation in the hydraulic system, a safety pin will be immediately inserted into the nose gear upon landing to secure it."