F-35 Fighter Aircraft Suffers Catastrophic Engine Failure Over Pacific, Pilot Ejects Safely
An F-35B Lightning II fighter aircraft assigned to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing experienced a catastrophic engine failure during a routine training sortie approximately 50 nautical miles off the coast of Okinawa, Japan, at 14:27 local time. The pilot, a major with over 1,500 flight hours, ejected from the single-engine fighter aircraft after multiple warning systems indicated a total loss of thrust. A Japan Coast Guard vessel recovered the pilot within 35 minutes. The estimated $100 million fighter aircraft impacted the ocean, prompting a search for debris. The United States Marine Corps has grounded all F-35B operations pending a full investigation into the engine malfunction.