F-35A fighter jet flights suspended after fire at U.S. air base
Source: Reuters
F-35A fighter jet flights suspended after fire at U.S. air base
BY ANDREA SHALAL
WASHINGTON Mon Jun 23, 2014 7:49pm EDT
(Reuters) - The U.S. Air Force on Monday temporarily halted flights at a Florida air base of 26 F-35A fighter jets built by Lockheed Martin Corp after a jet caught fire as it was preparing to take off for a training flight, a Pentagon spokesman said.
The pilot aborted the takeoff and was not injured, said Joe DellaVedova, spokesman for the Pentagon's F-35 program office. He had no immediate details on the cause of the fire or extent of the damage to the F-35 conventional takeoff model.
The fire occurred in the rear part of the plane where the engine is located, but it was unclear whether the engine was involved. Engine maker Pratt & Whitney, a unit of United Technologies Corp, said it was aware of the incident and stood ready to assist in the Air Force investigation.
The incident came just days before a group of F-35 B-model jets are due to fly to Britain for the jet's international debut. One U.S. defense official said it was too soon to say whether the fire would delay those plans or affect them in any way.
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