The F-35B crash in December, captured in a viral video of a pilot safely ejecting from a fighter that smacked nose-down and spun out of control on a runway at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, prompted officials to ground an unspecified number of F-35s and halt the acceptance of new jets as an investigation continued.
During the crash inquiry, officials identified a vibration issue, known as harmonic resonance, and cleared engine deliveries to resume on Feb. 24. After an executive from engine-maker Pratt & Whitney subsequently indicated that new hardware was being introduced to engines in production and the field in response to the issue, the JPO ordered the global Joint Strike Fighter enterprise to carry out a fix to mitigate the harmonic resonance problem, which the officials said would enable grounded fighters to return to flight.
During the crash inquiry, officials identified a vibration issue, known as harmonic resonance, and cleared engine deliveries to resume on Feb. 24. After an executive from engine-maker Pratt & Whitney subsequently indicated that new hardware was being introduced to engines in production and the field in response to the issue, the JPO ordered the global Joint Strike Fighter enterprise to carry out a fix to mitigate the harmonic resonance problem, which the officials said would enable grounded fighters to return to flight.
