Bird Strike Caused S.Korean F-35A Engine Fault, But Landing Gear Did not Deploy

A bird strike on South Korea F-35A fighter jet on January 4 forced the pilot to initiate emergency landing but the aircraft landed on its belly as the landing gear did not deploy, according to preliminary findings of an Air Force inquiry.

The incident occurred on a runway at an air base in Seosan, 151km south of Seoul, with its pilot unharmed.

The Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) said there will be a follow-up investigation on the exact cause of the incident. A team of U.S. experts will visit the country for an additional probe into technical details, including exactly why the aviation electronics system and landing gear of the aircraft did not work at that time.