ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION BOARD REPORT, F-35A, Eglin AFB, 19 MAY 2020
On the night of 19 May 2020 at 2126L, the mishap aircraft (MA), an F-35A aircraft tail number (T/N) 12-005053 crashed on runway 30 at Eglin Air Force Base (AFB), Florida (FL). The MA was operated out of Eglin AFB, FL by the 58th Fighter Squadron (FS), 33rd Operations Group (OG), assigned to the 33rd Fighter Wing. The mishap pilot (MP) ejected safely but sustained nonlife threatening injuries. The MA, valued at $175,983,949, rolled, caught fire, and was completely destroyed.
The MP set and held 202 knots calibrated airspeed (KCAS) throughout the approach and landing. The aircraft touched down approximately 50 KCAS fast, and was approximately 8 degrees more shallow than desired for landing, at a 5.2 degree Angle of Attack. The aircraft landing lasted approximately five seconds before the MP ejected.
The nose of the aircraft drove down at a high rate of speed and the nose gear contacted the runway immediately after the main landing gear. Next, the MA experienced a significant nose-high bounce. After the initial bounce, the MP made stick inputs consistent with an attempt to recover and set a landing attitude. However, the MP’s stick inputs quickly fell out of synch with the aircraft pitch oscillations and aircraft control cycles. Two seconds after touch down, the MP set and held aft stick, which would normally bring the nose of the aircraft up. Approximately one second after commanding aft stick the pilot also commanded full afterburner on his throttle. Both of those actions are consistent with an attempt to establish an attitude that would have allowed the aircraft to take off and go-around for another landing attempt. The horizontal stabilizers remained in full deflection down, which would tend to keep the nose of the aircraft down, despite the pilot holding aft stick for three seconds. After being unsuccessful in the attempt to go-around after multiple and progressively worsening bounces, the MP released the stick to eject.
The AIB President found, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the mishap was caused first, by the MA touching down at 202 KCAS, and second, by the MA flight control surfaces, namely the tail of the aircraft, conflicting with the MP inputs upon landing, resulting in the MP’s inability to recover from the aircraft oscillation. The AIB President also found by a preponderance of the evidence that four additional factors substantially contributed to the mishap. The substantially contributing factors are: the MP landed with Speed Hold engaged and using an alternate crosscheck method, the MP Helmet Mounted Display misalignment distracted the MP during a critical phase of flight, MP experienced cognitive degradation due to fatigue, and the MP lacked systems knowledge on flight control logic.
Eglin-AFB-F35A-AIB-Report_Signed