F-35 incident in Japan - Nose gear failure - 1 Dec 2022

5 page PDF F-35 TOW TEST QUIZLET link https://quizlet.com/559542040/f-35-tow- ... ash-cards/ attached (pprune)

The following contains some speculation, but it is educated. The parking brakes were engaged or there was a brake failure. The tow vehicle driver, brake rider, and/or tow supervisor should have probably recognized there was a problem and stopped the tow. It looks like they had time between the time things start to go bad and nose gear collapse. When I was assigned to Kadena, Inflight Emergency response was the responsibility of USAF Transient Alert. On many USAF bases the Repair and Reclamation Shop (If one exists) has this tasking. My point is this was in all likelihood not the owning unit maintainers towing the jet. Questions about tow team training and experience as regards the F-35 will surely be investigated.

The following contains some speculation, but it is educated. The parking brakes were engaged or there was a brake failure. The tow vehicle driver, brake rider, and/or tow supervisor should have probably recognized there was a problem and stopped the tow. It looks like they had time between the time things start to go bad and nose gear collapse. When I was assigned to Kadena, Inflight Emergency response was the responsibility of USAF Transient Alert. On many USAF bases the Repair and Reclamation Shop (If one exists) has this tasking. My point is this was in all likelihood not the owning unit maintainers towing the jet. Questions about tow team training and experience as regards the F-35 will surely be investigated.

Great insight.

I also wondered about whether there were any mechanical downlocks carried in the jet.

Once upon a time, checklist items for ‘ground ops’ were part of the stuff one carried in the pocket of one’s speed slacks. In the age of information, would hope that such anachronisms are still carried for these kind of contingencies.

Yeah agree. The PCL Pocket Checklist for NATOPS to carry in the g-suit pocket, sometimes left open on the front shelf during emergencies. As I recall it had ground stuff for servicing Skyhawks that was not always in BIG A-4 NATOPS for pilots.

F-35cockpit%20fp19-13457-0679_praf%20ZOOM.jpg

Spaz posted this awhile back when the RoKAF jet landed gear up. Tow Mode status directly above Parking brake ????

It seems these 'travelling F-35 simulators' change a lot in some aspects, perhaps not mimicking the real deal in every way?

] When I was assigned to Kadena,

Just wondering: if the USMC F-35 is hidden in a hangar, then will the USAF personnel zap it, like in the good old days? 8D

If it was a USAF Transient Alert crew responsible for that tow, I suspect they'll leave the USMC 'equipment' well alone.

(I recall flying a couple of types where the smaller variety of gear pins were stowed in a bag on the aircraft and some that were not, like the ginormous F-4 downlocks. However, in each aircraft, we always took them us when a 'planned' overnight was away from home. I hadn't realized this guy was out of Iwakuni for this 'unplanned' emer divert.)

It seems that ground-based procedures need a relook ashore & at sea before the 'holes in the swiss cheese' line up again.

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/lnews/okinawa/20221204/5090021093.html

Sunday, 2022/12/04:
Morning, crane raised F-35 nose.
Mechanics lowered front landing gear, and repaired it.
While front landing gear off-ground, nose fastened to flat trailer.
From 16:00, trailer took over one hour, to slowly tow F-35 to hangar.

And thaaat's the ball game.