Accident

First major damage to an F-35: engine fire at Eglin

June 23, 2014

An F-35A of the 58th Fighter Squadron suffered a fire in its rear section during take-off at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. The pilot aborted the roll and evacuated the aircraft unhurt, but the damage exceeded fifty million dollars and forced a fleet-wide flight suspension. The investigation traced the failure to a fractured F135 engine blade caused by rubbing against its stator.

Sources: Air & Space Forces Magazine — Excessive Rubbing Caused F-35 Engine Fire