Incident: F-35 Fighter Jet Emergency Belly Landing Due to Electronic Malfunction

Published Date: 2022-01-05

Postmortem Analysis
Timeline 1. The software failure incident involving the South Korean F-35A fighter jet happened in 2022. [Article 122907]
System unknown
Responsible Organization 1. The pilot and plane systems were at fault for the crash [122907]. 2. The equipment failed due to electronic issues, as stated by a South Korean Air Force spokesman [122907].
Impacted Organization 1. The South Korean Air Force was impacted by the software failure incident involving the F-35A fighter jet, leading to the pilot making an emergency 'belly landing' due to landing gear malfunction [Article 122907]. 2. Lockheed Martin, the American maker of the F-35A fighter jets, was impacted as South Korea grounded its entire fleet of advanced F-35 fighter jets pending a probe into the dramatic landing [Article 122907].
Software Causes 1. The software causes of the failure incident were electronic issues leading to equipment failure in the South Korean F-35A fighter jet, forcing the pilot to make an emergency 'belly landing' [122907].
Non-software Causes 1. Landing gear failure to extend due to electronic issues [122907] 2. Spatial disorientation leading to a crash [122907] 3. Red plastic rain cover accidentally left on and sucked into an engine [122907]
Impacts 1. The software failure incident in the South Korean F-35A fighter jet led to the malfunction of the landing gear, forcing the pilot to make an emergency 'belly landing' [122907]. 2. The incident resulted in the grounding of South Korea's entire fleet of advanced F-35 fighter jets pending a probe into the dramatic landing [122907]. 3. The malfunction due to electronic issues in the F-35A fighter jet raised concerns about the reliability and safety of the aircraft, impacting the confidence in its systems [122907].
Preventions 1. Implementing rigorous software testing procedures during the development phase to identify and rectify any potential electronic issues that could lead to malfunctions [122907]. 2. Conducting thorough system checks and maintenance to ensure all aircraft systems, including software components, are functioning properly before flight [122907]. 3. Enhancing the software monitoring and diagnostic capabilities of the F-35 aircraft to provide real-time alerts and warnings to pilots in case of system failures [122907]. 4. Regularly updating and patching the software systems of the F-35 aircraft to address any known vulnerabilities or bugs that could compromise its performance [122907].
Fixes 1. Conduct a thorough investigation into the electronic issues that caused the landing gear failure in the South Korean F-35A fighter jet to identify the root cause and implement necessary software updates or fixes to prevent similar incidents in the future [Article 122907]. 2. Implement enhanced system checks and monitoring to ensure all aircraft systems are functioning properly during flight to prevent sudden failures that could lead to emergency landings or crashes [Article 122907]. 3. Enhance pilot training and procedures for handling emergency situations like landing gear failures to improve decision-making and response capabilities in critical moments [Article 122907].
References 1. South Korean Air Force spokesman 2. Republic of Korea Air Force vice chief of staff Shin Ok-chul 3. US Air Force 4. Lockheed Martin [122907]

Software Taxonomy of Faults

Category Option Rationale
Recurring one_organization, multiple_organization (a) The software failure incident having happened again at one_organization: - The F-35 fighter jet, manufactured by Lockheed Martin, has been involved in multiple incidents, including crashes and malfunctions [122907]. - The incident in South Korea, where a pilot had to make an emergency 'belly landing' due to landing gear failure, is not the first for the F-35. Previous incidents include a British F-35 toppling into the sea during a failed takeoff and a US pilot ejecting after a crash on landing in Florida [122907]. (b) The software failure incident having happened again at multiple_organization: - The F-35 fighter jet, developed by Lockheed Martin, has faced issues in different countries, such as the UK, the US, and Japan, with incidents ranging from crashes to malfunctions [122907]. - The South Korean incident is part of a series of incidents involving the F-35, indicating that similar software failure incidents have occurred with this aircraft model across different organizations and countries [122907].
Phase (Design/Operation) design, operation (a) The software failure incident related to the design phase is evident in the case of the F-35 fighter jet incidents. The article mentions that the South Korean F-35A fighter jet had to make an emergency 'belly landing' due to a malfunction in the air, specifically with the landing gear failing to extend. This failure was attributed to electronic issues, indicating a design flaw or fault introduced during the system development or updates [122907]. (b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase is highlighted by the various incidents involving F-35 fighter jets crashing or experiencing malfunctions during operation. For example, a US pilot was forced to eject midair after an F-35 jet crashed in South Carolina in 2018, with the US Air Force attributing the crash to pilot and plane systems faults. Additionally, a Japanese F-35 crashed into the Pacific Ocean near Japan in 2019, with officials blaming the crash on spatial disorientation, which could be considered an operational issue [122907].
Boundary (Internal/External) within_system (a) within_system: The software failure incident related to the F-35 fighter jet in South Korea was primarily within the system. The incident was caused by electronic issues within the jet's equipment, leading to the failure of the landing gear to extend properly, forcing the pilot to make an emergency 'belly landing' [122907]. (b) outside_system: There is no specific mention in the articles of contributing factors originating from outside the system that led to the software failure incident.
Nature (Human/Non-human) non-human_actions, human_actions (a) The software failure incident occurring due to non-human actions: - The article reports that the South Korean F-35A fighter jet made an emergency 'belly landing' due to a malfunction in the air, specifically mentioning that the landing gear failed to extend, leading to the pilot deciding to land the jet on its belly [Article 122907]. - The incident was attributed to electronic issues causing the equipment failure, as stated by a South Korean Air Force spokesman [Article 122907]. (b) The software failure incident occurring due to human actions: - The US Air Force attributed a previous crash of an F-35 to the pilot and plane systems being at fault [Article 122907]. - The article mentions a British F-35B crashing into the Mediterranean during takeoff, with a possible contributing factor being a red plastic rain cover accidentally left on and sucked into an engine, indicating a potential human error [Article 122907].
Dimension (Hardware/Software) hardware (a) The software failure incident occurring due to hardware: - The incident involving the South Korean F-35A fighter jet making an emergency 'belly landing' was attributed to equipment failure due to electronic issues, which is a hardware-related problem [122907]. (b) The software failure incident occurring due to software: - The article does not mention any specific software-related contributing factors that led to the incident. Therefore, it is unknown if the failure originated in the software.
Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) non-malicious (a) The articles do not mention any indication of a malicious software failure incident. (b) The software failure incident related to the emergency 'belly landing' of the South Korean F-35A fighter jet was non-malicious. The incident was attributed to equipment failure due to electronic issues, forcing the pilot to make the unprecedented decision to perform a belly landing [122907].
Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) unknown The articles do not provide information about a software failure incident related to poor_decisions or accidental_decisions.
Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) accidental (a) The software failure incident related to development incompetence is not explicitly mentioned in the provided article [122907]. (b) The software failure incident related to an accidental factor is mentioned in the article. The incident involving the South Korean F-35A fighter jet making an emergency 'belly landing' was due to equipment failure caused by electronic issues, forcing the pilot to take unprecedented action [122907].
Duration unknown The articles do not mention any specific software failure incident related to the F-35 fighter jet incidents reported. Therefore, the duration of the software failure incident, whether permanent or temporary, cannot be determined from the provided articles [122907].
Behaviour crash, other (a) crash: The incident involving the South Korean F-35A fighter jet making an emergency 'belly landing' was due to a malfunction in the air, specifically the landing gear failing to extend. This led to the pilot deciding to land the aircraft on its belly, indicating a crash scenario [122907]. (b) omission: There is no specific mention of a software failure incident related to omission in the provided article. (c) timing: There is no specific mention of a software failure incident related to timing in the provided article. (d) value: There is no specific mention of a software failure incident related to value in the provided article. (e) byzantine: There is no specific mention of a software failure incident related to Byzantine behavior in the provided article. (f) other: The incident involving the South Korean F-35A fighter jet making an emergency 'belly landing' due to a malfunction in the air, specifically the landing gear failing to extend, could also be categorized as an 'other' behavior as it involves a unique scenario of the system losing its intended functionality [122907].

IoT System Layer

Layer Option Rationale
Perception None None
Communication None None
Application None None

Other Details

Category Option Rationale
Consequence death, harm, property, theoretical_consequence (a) death: People lost their lives due to the software failure - In a previous incident involving a Japanese F-35 that crashed into the Pacific Ocean in 2019, the pilot was killed [122907]. - The article mentions that a US pilot was forced to eject midair after an F-35 jet crashed in South Carolina in 2018, which resulted in the destruction of the aircraft [122907]. (b) harm: People were physically harmed due to the software failure - In the South Korean F-35 incident, the pilot walked away uninjured after making an emergency 'belly landing' due to a malfunction [122907]. (d) property: People's material goods, money, or data was impacted due to the software failure - The South Korean F-35 incident resulted in the jet's equipment failing due to electronic issues, leading to the pilot having to take unprecedented action [122907]. - The article mentions that the F-35 program has been plagued by numerous delays, cost overruns, and technical setbacks [122907].
Domain transportation, knowledge, government (a) The failed system was intended to support the defense industry. The incident involved a South Korean F-35A fighter jet making an emergency 'belly landing' due to a malfunction in the air. This incident is part of a series of incidents involving F-35 jets, including crashes and failures in different countries [Article 122907].

Sources

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