A U.S. Air Force F-35 caught fire during surface-to-air training at an Air Force base in Idaho, causing "substantial" damage to the aircraft. According to Aviation Week, the working theory is that a fire was started after strong tailwinds redirected heat from the fighter's engine during startup procedures. The pilot got out unharmed.
The incident, involving an aircraft assigned to the 56h Fighter Wing, took place on September 23 at Mountain Home Air Force Base. According to AvWeek, the plane catch fire if there's an aborted engine start and excess fuel is left in the aircraft exhaust duct. Wind speeds were from 35 to 47 miles an hour that day, adding credence to the redirected heat theory.
The F-35 involved in the incident reportedly has "substantial" damage to its exterior skin. Internal damage, however, will be much more expensive and difficult to repair. It is unknown until technicians begin to disassemble the aircraft.
The F-35 is powered by a Pratt & Whitney F135 afterburning turbofan engine, which was developed from the engine that powers the F-22 Raptor. The F-35 can create a maximum 41,000 pounds of thrust. At $18 million each, one F-35 engine accounts for approximately one-sixth of the Joint Strike Fighter's $120 million price tag.
This is not the first time for the F-35. In 2014, an Air Force F-35 caught fire on takeoff. A test pilot repeatedly flew a F-35 in a way the engine's titanium fan blades were heated to nearly double normal operating temperatures. During the incident the engine fan blades cracked and shot through the aircraft's left fuel tank, instantly starting a fire.
