The cause of the Air Force F-35A fighter's emergency landing on the 24th was found to be a malfunction in the hydraulic supply device.
Jang Dong-ha, Head of Team of the Air Force Seoul Public Affairs Team, said at the Ministry of National Defense's regular briefing on the 27th, "The reason for the emergency landing at the time was that a hydraulic hose in front of the left main gear ruptured, hydraulic fluid leaked, and a warning light came on," adding, "The hydraulic hose is a device that supplies the hydraulics that open the main gear door."
At about 6:46 p.m. on the 24th, one F-35A belonging to the Air Force's Cheongju base made an emergency landing at Cheongju International Airport. After the emergency landing, the aircraft came to a stop on the runway, its nosewheel folded, and part of the nose made contact with the runway.
Jang said, "As a problem occurred in the hydraulic system, an abnormal operation occurred due to residual pressure and the nose gear's locking mechanism was released," adding, "The aircraft currently has partial damage to the lower surface of the nose, and there is no damage to critical equipment." He added, "As a preventive measure, if an abnormal situation occurs in the hydraulic system, we will immediately insert a safety pin on the nose gear upon landing to secure it."
The Air Force plans to conduct a special safety inspection of the hydraulic system and the landing gear system overall before F-35A flights. The Air Force plans to resume flights of aircraft that have completed inspections in stages starting this afternoon.