The Air Force is grounding F-35 over ejection seat

Seems the ‘flaw’ is a ‘component (might we call it a consumable?) that is actually made by the USG. Wonder when the reporting will look into that idea?

https://southernmarylandchronicle.com/2 ... -aircraft/

That AvWeak report is from 29 July so it seems 'THE REACTION' changed 'out of an abundance of caution' because they/ we/ I only "have the safety of personnel in mind" SO a slow reaction was changed to a BIG REACTION whilst the MEEDJAH barked up a few RONG TREES especially about THE GROUNDING which peeps tried to emphasise was a 'STANDOWN'. And as several here have emphasised 'these issues are not unusual for other aircraft when a problem is found and procedures devised to check/fix. I like the way in the AVIATION WEAK emphasis WEAK article blames MARTIN-BAKER (and by this inference 'the F-35 for selecting MB' when ACES was in the running. And of course the ENDLESS GROUNDING MEME will never die. [yeah I had to repair me bad RAVE stuff]

That AvWeak report is from 27 July so it seems 'THE REACTION' changed 'out of an abundance of caution' because they/ we/ I only "have the safety of personnel in mind" SO a slow reaction was changed to a BIG REACTION whilst the MEEDJAH barked up a few RONG TREES especially about THE GROUNDING which peeps tried to emphasise was a 'STANDOWN'. And as several hear have emphasised 'these issues not unusual for other aircraft when a problem is found and procedures devised to check/fix. I like the way in the AVIATION WEAK emphasis WEAK article blames MARTIN-BAKER (and by this inference 'the F-35 for selecting MB' when ACES was in the running. And of course the ENDLESS GROUNDING MEME will never die.

Seems there is also redundancy (of CADs) in the function of the seat, which I’m sure was part of the system safety determination that a 90-day TCTD compliance was sufficient to address the risk.

Am reminded of this (again) from Jonathan Swift —

“Falsehood flies, and truth comes limping after it, so that when men come to be undeceived, it is too late; the jest is over, and the tale hath had its effect…”

Wish some ‘journalists’ and their editors, would depart for a moment from ‘being first’ to being ‘reliably accurate.’

OR to be touting for various countries/firms/their own ignorance and prejudice. Recall BillyBobBoyoSweetiePie and the 6th Generation Gripping Swedish Clunker? Bill Sweetman and the Gripen NG to be more precise. Fill 'em full of booze eh.

Hi, I just looked through TO 00-5-15 and there's no mention of a "time compliance technical directive". WTF is a directive? Doing a complete stand down for a routine TCTO? I guess if you want to water down the severity of the issue. Routine action TCTOs get fixed during phase maintenance. This is sus...

Waiting three months beforehand was probably knuckle dragging through Configuration Control Boards and MAJCOMs wanting to put their urine stains on the preliminary TCTO. When it hit, I could hear the moan from egress troops realizing their summer was over.

* I just realized TCTD is probably DOD wide. My bad.

Hi, I just looked through TO 00-5-15 and there's no mention of a "time compliance technical directive". WTF is a directive? Doing a complete stand down for a routine TCTO? I guess if you want to water down the severity of the issue. Routine action TCTOs get fixed during phase maintenance. This is sus...

Waiting three months beforehand was probably knuckle dragging through Configuration Control Boards and MAJCOMs wanting to put their urine stains on the preliminary TCTO. When it hit, I could hear the moan from egress troops realizing their summer was over.

* I just realized TCTD is probably DOD wide. My bad.

I believe that TCTD is a US Navy terminology, and the Navy is the lead command in the F-35 JPO. Technical Orders (T.O.s) are called Joint Technical Data - JTD. Was slightly confusing when the F-35 was first standing up at Nellis.

The PUBLIC EYE got steamed OK causing blurred vision brought on by WOEful UNclear reporting from not understanding. "...The situation picked up steam as it entered the public eye in the weeks that followed....." & "...The Navy said no one has died or been injured as a result; [GO NAVY] the Air Force has stressed its groundings are a precaution to get ahead [WUT?! cover your bippy?] of any fatalities...." [BEAT AIR FORCE]

Here’s what we know about F-35 ejection seat woes so far
06 Aug 2022 Rachel S. Cohen & Stephen Losey

"... [just an amalgamation of all that has gone before (confused reporting caused to be fair by probably OPSEC about what was going on but hey WHO KNOWS) and telling us these reporters are confused by factoids that don't have numbers (see OPSEC comment earlier). I guess reporters don't yet understand sometimes the detail numbers are special info not for their eyes. Worth reading wordage though as a general run through of all the sky is falling rhetoric from retorters.]

...Martin-Baker spokesperson Steve Roberts told Air Force Times on July 29 the company has data that suggests aircraft other than the F-35 may not be hit by the cartridge problem. “Outside the F-35, not a single anomaly has been discovered worldwide as a result of the forensic investigation, which continues at pace,” he said."

Source: https://www.defensenews.com/news/your-a ... es-so-far/

All US Air Force F-35s are flying again after ejection seat checks
16 Aug 2022 Stephen Losey

"WASHINGTON — The U.S. Air Force’s F-35A fighter fleet has resumed normal flying operations after checks of hundreds of ejection seat initiator cartridges discovered no problems. Service technicians inspected 706 cartridges from 349 F-35s, as well as additional supplies of spare cartridges, Air Combat Command spokeswoman Alexi Worley said in an email Monday. The Air Force has about 376 F-35As in its fleet.

Of those cartridges, inspectors felt four could have problems and were replaced. Worley said further inspection of those four suspect cartridges showed they were not defective.

Worley said a small number of F-35As that were already in depot maintenance have not had their cartridges checked, but that those reviews would be done within the 90-day inspection deadline, which began July 19. Because those F-35s were already undergoing maintenance and weren’t in a flying status, Worley added, their cartridge inspections were scheduled for later....

...However, a routine F-35 inspection at Hill Air Force Base in Utah in April found a cartridge was loose and missing its explosive charge. Base personnel inspected a few other F-35s and decided it was not a more widespread problem, then allowing the fighters to fly again.

Martin-Baker, the company that manufactures the seats, also found two more defective cartridges in its own stores in April. The company also found, during a quality check that followed, that its production line was creating defective cartridges....

...Martin-Baker said in a statement to Air Force Times on Aug. 7 that ejection seat checks the military started in July uncovered no defective parts in any aircraft, leaving the one found at Hill Air Force Base in April the only bad cartridge found in an F-35."

Source: https://www.defensenews.com/air/2022/08 ... at-checks/

All same same here (originator of earlier stand down story) https://breakingdefense.com/2022/08/us- ... spections/

Air Force F-35 Stand Down Ends After Ejection Seat Inspections
15 Aug 2022 Greg Hadley

"...[lahdedah as above then] Inspecting the cartridges involved taking each jet out of service for a day so its seat could be removed from the aircraft. From there, the CADs can be removed quickly and inspected visually. Maintainers who are unsure whether a cartridge has enough explosive powder can X-ray it.

The Air Force’s F-35s are not the only fleet that has encountered the issue. The Navy and Marine Corps have reportedly conducted cartridge replacements on at least five different kinds of aircraft, and Martin-Baker seats are used by dozens of other countries and air forces. Germany, Israel, and the United Kingdom have all announced inspections as well.

Lawmakers and advocates have closely followed issues with Air Force ejection seats for several years, leading to legislation. As a result, the services are “taking no chances. They are going for zero risk,” a Martin-Baker official previously told Air Force Magazine."

Source: https://www.airforcemag.com/air-force-f ... spections/