UK F-35B Lost
Yep. I'm going to put myself out there and say - cause; Mechanical Failure.
Just who's Mechanicals and bits, washers, oil seals, lock nuts, spinning bits and stuff - we'll probably never know.
But it's far too obvious that it was a bright red piece of foam with a "Remove Before Flight" flag hanging off it.
And I'm well acquainted with a certain Mister Murphy - who wrote his one and only Law.
$100M buys you an aircraft with a Checklist procedure you surely cannot screw up on.
Just who's Mechanicals and bits, washers, oil seals, lock nuts, spinning bits and stuff - we'll probably never know.
But it's far too obvious that it was a bright red piece of foam with a "Remove Before Flight" flag hanging off it.
And I'm well acquainted with a certain Mister Murphy - who wrote his one and only Law.
$100M buys you an aircraft with a Checklist procedure you surely cannot screw up on.
If it was mech failure (which it wasn't), why were all the F35s not grounded until the cause was known?
As for checklist procedures being screwed up, the cost of the system is irrelevant.
Suspicion breeds confidence
A CM is the only likely outcome for this once the BOI has reported. Remember in monetary terms this is the same as causing the loss of a River Batch 2 and you can only imagine what would happen then.
Heads will roll without doubt
Heads will roll without doubt
Wouldn't be surprised if you're right, but surely cost shouldn't be a factor in the decision to CM? pprune is full of examples where no action has been taken for more costly errors resulting in major loss of life.
even losing a nuclear bomb off a towed transportation trolley
If you are talking about Bruggen then it wasn't lost. It fell of the trolley and got a little dent.
If you are talking about Bruggen then it wasn't lost. It fell of the trolley and got a little dent.
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Didn't happen on my watch. Spent yonks sitting in the back of a Puma going nowhere, just in case. Never lifted once, alhamdulillah.
Didn't happen on mine either: Met. was potentially heavily involved every time a special was moved, and even more so when one was moved in or out of theatre. Main worry was burn, not bang.
Thread Starter
Various nuclear weapon incidents over the years have demonstrated how - even during the most tightly regulated engineering activities - failures by leadership to ensure standards are met and procedures followed actually create more holes in the Swiss cheese making it easier for the holes to align !
The 1984 incident at RAF Bruggen - when a WE177 nuclear weapon - in a transit container because it was being moved between a C-130K and the SSA - fell off a Type SA Trolley being towed by a Land Rover because it was not restrained - was a prime example of correct procedures not being followed - not just on the day in question but going back years.
BOI Narrative of Events here: https://webarchive.nationalarchives....tInGermany.htm
Again, at RAF Marham in 1988, multiple deviations from the requirements of SD814 - no Weapon Load Supervising Officer on site, Special Weapon Load Team not properly constituted, disoberdience to No Lone Zone procedures, failure to follow loading procedure, unauthorised button pressing - led to a drill WE177 being explosively jettisoned from a Tornado GR1 onto the floor of a HAS. [all procedures for live weapons were supposed to be applied to drill weapons].
The 1984 incident at RAF Bruggen - when a WE177 nuclear weapon - in a transit container because it was being moved between a C-130K and the SSA - fell off a Type SA Trolley being towed by a Land Rover because it was not restrained - was a prime example of correct procedures not being followed - not just on the day in question but going back years.
BOI Narrative of Events here: https://webarchive.nationalarchives....tInGermany.htm
Again, at RAF Marham in 1988, multiple deviations from the requirements of SD814 - no Weapon Load Supervising Officer on site, Special Weapon Load Team not properly constituted, disoberdience to No Lone Zone procedures, failure to follow loading procedure, unauthorised button pressing - led to a drill WE177 being explosively jettisoned from a Tornado GR1 onto the floor of a HAS. [all procedures for live weapons were supposed to be applied to drill weapons].
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The 1984 incident at RAF Bruggen - when a WE177 nuclear weapon - in a transit container because it was being moved between a C-130K and the SSA - fell off a Type SA Trolley being towed by a Land Rover because it was not restrained - was a prime example of correct procedures not being followed - not just on the day in question but going back years.
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Back in the day, the squadron stores officer would have noticed the following!!
The pilot having been recovered from the drink, has lost the 2 aircrew watches he was wearing on each wrist.
Because of the cold weather/sea temperature, he was wearing 2 pair of flying gloves, and those had been ripped of during the ejection.
Also due to the cold weather/sea temperature the two flight suits he was wearing are now soaked in salt water and have shrunk. He had borrowed one from the stores officer.
It was also noticed that the aircraft had managed to get airborne with several squadron coloured tie-down chains attached to the main undercarriage legs.
It was also noted, that as the carrier "violently" manoeuvred to void the doomed aircraft and the pilot in the water, several other items of squadron stores went over the side from the flight deck. e.g. Intake blanks, chocks etc. (To be confirmed after audit).
Although the stores officer from one of the other squadrons on board had noticed a couple of items belonging to him attached to the aircraft as it went in, it was difficult to prove. However, in "consultation", it was also noticed that a couple of intake blanks belonging to the other squadron had also gone over the side during the violent avoidance manoeuvre.
The pilot always flew with a substantial "diversion kit", which unfortunately went down with the aircraft, the contents of which, the stores officer would confirm to the pilot's insurance company.
Need I go on!!
The pilot having been recovered from the drink, has lost the 2 aircrew watches he was wearing on each wrist.
Because of the cold weather/sea temperature, he was wearing 2 pair of flying gloves, and those had been ripped of during the ejection.
Also due to the cold weather/sea temperature the two flight suits he was wearing are now soaked in salt water and have shrunk. He had borrowed one from the stores officer.
It was also noticed that the aircraft had managed to get airborne with several squadron coloured tie-down chains attached to the main undercarriage legs.
It was also noted, that as the carrier "violently" manoeuvred to void the doomed aircraft and the pilot in the water, several other items of squadron stores went over the side from the flight deck. e.g. Intake blanks, chocks etc. (To be confirmed after audit).
Although the stores officer from one of the other squadrons on board had noticed a couple of items belonging to him attached to the aircraft as it went in, it was difficult to prove. However, in "consultation", it was also noticed that a couple of intake blanks belonging to the other squadron had also gone over the side during the violent avoidance manoeuvre.
The pilot always flew with a substantial "diversion kit", which unfortunately went down with the aircraft, the contents of which, the stores officer would confirm to the pilot's insurance company.
Need I go on!!
Seems fair, on investigation a fair bit of my inventory turned out to have been on the Atlantic Conveyor and I wasn't even posted to the unit at the time of the sinking.
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