Tue, Aug 23, 2011
Air Force Lifts Two-Week Grounding Following Power Issue
The U.S. Air Force has cleared the F35 JSF to return to flight
testing following a two-week standdown. The program had been
suspended following a problem that cropped up in a power system in
one of the test airplanes stationed at Edwards Air Force Base.
An Air Force Safety Investigation Board continues to review the
circumstances that led to the failure of an Integrated Power
Package (IPP) aboard AF-4, an F-35A conventional takeoff and
landing (CTOL) variant assigned to Edwards AFB, CA, on August 2.
The F-35's Integrated Power Package is a turbo-machine that
provides power to start the engine and generates cooling for the
aircraft. The government and contractor engineering teams
determined the program could resume developmental test flight
operations while the investigation continues. This assessment was
made after reviewing data from ground and flight tests which
showed, with revised test monitoring procedures governing the IPP,
the aircraft can be flown safely.
A news release from the JSF Program Office indicates that the
root cause investigation indicates that an IPP valve did not
function properly. Monitoring of valve position is a mitigating
action to allow monitored operations. A permanent resolution is in
work. The return to flight has been approved for all aircraft
assigned to Edwards AFB and Patuxent River Naval Air Station, MD.
This does not allow ground operations for Eglin AFB, FL, delivered
aircraft (AF-8, AF-9). The completion of the root cause
investigation and any corrective actions are required to return to
unmonitored operations.
Impact to System Development and Demonstration test flight
execution and production operations continues to be assessed. The
program, however, has built margin into the test schedule to
accommodate incidents that occur in the development effort.
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