On October 11, the Pentagon issued a temporary fleetwide grounding order for F-35s of all versions, following the first crash of a Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II near Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina, on September 28. The pilot ejected safely.
Investigators suspect a faulty fuel pipe within the engine as a potential cause for the loss. Virtually all Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy F-35s—plus those of international partners—are to undergo an initial inspection of the suspected part(s), a process expected to take around 48 hours to complete. Aircraft with known good fuel tubes will be returned to flight status immediately, while those with suspect parts will have them replaced. In the meantime, the accident investigation board continues to examine data from the crash, the fuel pipe issue having been raised as a possible cause ahead of the final findings.
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