Forgotten Flashlight Causes $4 Million In F-35 Engine Damage

Pratt & Whitney F135 engine test

F135

Credit: Pratt & Whitney
A maintenance error caused nearly $4 million in damage to a $14 million engine that powers a U.S. Air Force-owned, Lockheed Martin F-35A at Luke AFB, Arizona on March 15, the service announced on Jan. 19. During a test run on the ground, the Pratt & Whitney F135 engine ingested a flashlight left...
Steve Trimble

Steve covers military aviation, missiles and space for the Aviation Week Network, based in Washington DC.

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