3/10/2012 11:27:00 AM
NEWS BRIEFS
Loose Fasteners Blamed for F-35 Fuel Leak
MEDIA SPOTLIGHT — The 33rd Fighter Wing maintenance crew at Elgin Air Force Base in Florida determined that three loose fasteners caused the small fuel leak during the F-35’s first mission flight on March 5, the NFW Daily News reports.
The scheduled 90-minute sortie was cut short by 20 minutes “when the pilot of an F-16 acting as a chase plane spotted what appeared to a small fuel leak on the F-35,” writes Dusty Ricketts of the Daily News.
An extensive review found “three slightly loose fasteners allowed a small amount of fuel to seep from the jet.”
No explanation was found for the loose screws, but the screws have been tightened and the aircraft cleared to fly.
The F-35 is touted by the U.S. Department of Defense as “the most affordable, lethal, supportable and survivable aircraft ever to be used by so many warfighters across the globe.” Video link: http://www.jsf.mil/video/f35test/Eglin_First_Flight.wmv
Editor’s Note: Articles in Media Spotlight are excerpts from publications or broadcasts which show the industry what the public is reading or hearing about fasteners and fastener companies. ©2012 GlobalFastenerNews.com
MEDIA SPOTLIGHT — The 33rd Fighter Wing maintenance crew at Elgin Air Force Base in Florida determined that three loose fasteners caused the small fuel leak during the F-35’s first mission flight on March 5, the NFW Daily News reports.
The scheduled 90-minute sortie was cut short by 20 minutes “when the pilot of an F-16 acting as a chase plane spotted what appeared to a small fuel leak on the F-35,” writes Dusty Ricketts of the Daily News.
An extensive review found “three slightly loose fasteners allowed a small amount of fuel to seep from the jet.”
No explanation was found for the loose screws, but the screws have been tightened and the aircraft cleared to fly.
The F-35 is touted by the U.S. Department of Defense as “the most affordable, lethal, supportable and survivable aircraft ever to be used by so many warfighters across the globe.” Video link: http://www.jsf.mil/video/f35test/Eglin_First_Flight.wmv
Editor’s Note: Articles in Media Spotlight are excerpts from publications or broadcasts which show the industry what the public is reading or hearing about fasteners and fastener companies. ©2012 GlobalFastenerNews.com
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