The Pentagon grounded the entire fleet of F-35 fighters and inspections ordered on a “faulty fuel tube within the engine”:
BREAKING: JPO confirms all U.S. and international #F35 fighter jets are grounded while the enterprise conducts a fleet-wide inspection. Looks like problem is a faulty fuel tube within the engine. A source tells me this is not the same problem that grounded the F-35As a while back
— Lara Seligman (@laraseligman) October 11, 2018
It is expected that the inspections will take 24-48 hours:
According to the JPO, if suspect fuel tubes are installed, the part will be removed and replaced. If known good fuel tubes are already installed, then those aircraft will be returned to flight status. Inspections are expected to be completed within the next 24 to 48 hours.
— Lara Seligman (@laraseligman) October 11, 2018
According to reports, this faulty tube was responsible for the crash of an F-35 during a training mission last month:
Fleet-wide check taking place on the mega expensive F35 fleet. Faulty fuel tube identified after S. Carolina crash.
— Alistair Bunkall (@AliBunkallSKY) October 11, 2018
We still don’t know what went wrong with this tube, however:
Still unclear what has gone wrong with this particular fuel tubing on the #F35, but it's worth mentioning that fuel is moved around that aircraft in ways not found on others to support cooling of systems.
— Tony Osborne (@Rotorfocus) October 11, 2018
The pilot ejected safely from the fighter in September:
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F-35 crashes for the first time in the jet’s 17-year history, pilot ejects safely https://t.co/gNZ0qtUOq8
— Washington Post (@washingtonpost) September 29, 2018
International buyers of the fighter have grounded their jets, too:
#BREAKING: #IDF has announced that following the grounding of the entire #F35 fleet by the Pentagon, ALL #Israeli F35s will be grounded for the next few days for inspections
— Anna Ahronheim (@AAhronheim) October 11, 2018
Update: UK has grounded some F35 jets while inquiry is ongoing into potential engine fault.
Trials of F35 aboard HMS QE continue, however. pic.twitter.com/POpItqVdTS
— Lucy Fisher (@LOS_Fisher) October 11, 2018
UPDATE: Sources now telling me the Italians have already inspected their F-35s and they do not have the faulty part. They are back to flying already. No word yet on the status of the UK jets
— Lara Seligman (@laraseligman) October 11, 2018
Pratt and Whitney manufacturers the engines:
Serious questions for @prattandwhitney over suspension of #F35 fleet as they are responsible for engine. Fuel tube on each affected jet needs to be inspected.
Senior defence industry source tells me: "This is a cock up of epic proportions" https://t.co/E5fnuFE2rr— Deborah Haynes (@haynesdeborah) October 11, 2018
The entire fleet was grounded in 2014, but it’s not suspected that the issues are related:
More thoughts on the latest #F35 grounding: Let's not forget that in 2014, the entire fleet was grounded for a large chunk of time following an engine fire on an Air Force F-35A at @TeamEglin.
— Lara Seligman (@laraseligman) October 11, 2018
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