Here’s what’s happening this Tuesday evening, August 26, 2025.

Ice Contamination in Landing Gear Caused $196M F-35 Crash in Alaska, Report Finds

A US Air Force investigation concluded that ice contamination in the landing gear struts caused an F-35A Lightning II to crash at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, last January 28, destroying the $196.5 million aircraft.

The pilot ejected after losing control but suffered spinal, neck, and facial injuries.

Investigators found that water-contaminated hydraulic fluid had frozen in the nose and main landing gear struts, preventing full extension and triggering faulty “weight on wheels” signals that put the jet into ground mode mid-air, rendering it uncontrollable. The incident followed more than an hour of troubleshooting with Lockheed Martin eng

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