steve2267 wrote:spazsinbad wrote:Pure speculation eh. However if there is a problem in STOVL Mode Four the F-35B pilot is ejected automatically with no pilot input. Aircraft CLAW decides and within 0.5 seconds he is OUT. Is the crash site near a STOVL landing site? Dunno.
See graphic I posted a little while back -- a screen cut-and-paste from Google Earth. "Crash site" was about 5 miles from MCAS Beaufort. Could the Bee have been in Mode 4? I suppose that is possible. I dunno how close / far away the pilots push that magic STOVL MODE 4 button when approaching the base for a landing.
Until more details are known then there are many possibilities - likely some that neither of us can think of generally.
A story (where details matter). Ever since I joined NAS Nowra from flying training with the RAAF beginning of 1969 I heard the story of the successful night ejection in the circuit by a Sea Venom crew in strong gusty westerly wind condition which wreak havoc via severe turbulence in the circuit from surrounding tabletop/valley landscape to the west of the airfield including very severe turbulence when on finals for runway 26. When in 1969 night circuit height was 1000 feet AGL I thought it odd that the pilot hit trees when level turning downwind in the break. Not until recently reading an old publication referencing these details did I know that the Sea Venom was carrying out the night circuit at
400 feet! FARK!
There was no room for error in the terrain west of the airfield to downwind at this height. The pilot explained, after his return from survivor leave, lots of trees had been cut down around the airfield whilst night circuit height was raised to 1,000 feet AGL. The Venoms did day/night carrier circuits at 400 feet ASL (without an LSO) for 'security' reasons (plus being able to see the carrier when relatively close downwind).
FARK! 
So the story made sense once details known with supporting explanations about how the aircraft would behave when turning in turbulence relatively irrelevant.
In other words 'details matter' so imagining stuff - without detail - is really fruitless IMHO. I'm patient - I can wait....
A4G Skyhawk: www.faaaa.asn.au/spazsinbad-a4g/ & www.youtube.com/channel/UCwqC_s6gcCVvG7NOge3qfAQ/videos?view_as=subscriber