And yet apparently still too late…

Something strange about this. The conditions looked about ideal. They were deployed, so even a rookie had completed pre-deployment blue-water qualifications which is all about getting on the boat with some degree of reliability.

I get the impression that spoolup time is an issue in this aircraft and they are trying to offset the need for it with computer driven control surface inputs.

https://www.aviationtoday.com/2012/1...lored-to-trap/

Designing an aircraft engine that works efficiently at supersonic speeds does pose some challenges at the other end of the airspeed range I suppose.

Groove length should 15-18 seconds if that hasn't changed so short in the groove would necessitate a lower altitude at the start for a cresting centered ball so it might have appeared* that the pass was salvageable. It looks like a big sink rate starts to develop before the power application which was likely a wave-off command. The jet is still new in the fleet and this is how we learn its characteristics and pitfalls operating around the boat. The Super Hornet had early deployment issues as well, including a ramp strike. The ship may have done something funny too, lots of variables. I had the Enterprise start backing down and turning into me during my approach turn once: "Little short in the groove - 3 seconds - OK pass." And that's a no-sh!tt3r

Aren't they supposed to consider flight ops before they do that?


As you say the F-35 is relatively new to carrier ops, maybe growing pains.

We were the last one for the cycle. I guess they miscounted. Nobody cares about the Hoover until they are about to splash or can't get aboard at night

Curious how the Chinese could be a factor for salvage of the wreck with US ships on site at the time of the mishap?

We haven't (and won't) disclose exactly where it happened.

The strike group probably has other things to do besides camping out at the scene. That would actually be counterproductive because it would give away the location, and unless we're willing to forcibly prevent PRC salvage ops their salvage assets are probably a lot closer than ours.

There's some legal grey area, and that's even before you account for the fact that the PRC will claim territorial waters.

The good news is we don't actually *have* to salvage the plane... an ROV loaded up with a lot of HE could mostly solve the problem within minutes of reaching the plane.

But I think we'll recover it, we know exactly where it is and they (probably) don't, and they are unlikely to interfere with a US Navy salvage operation... while they like to play chicken sometimes, ramming an anchored USN ship would be an act of war and would probably get them sunk.

You would think by now that military aircraft would have some sort of system to destroy the sensitive parts upon ejection of the pilots.

Uhhhh. I did some stupid thing in my military career but flying around in a warplane set to self destruct would have been a bridge too far.