In March of 2023, at Arizona’s Luke Air Force Base, a maintenance team assigned to the 56th Fighter Wing ran a series of tests and installations on an F-35’s propulsion system. According to the report, the three-person team installed a fuel metering valve into the engine fuel line and immediately followed up with a test to check for fuel leaks. The maintenance team reported no visual signs that would indicate a faulty test. After running idle for five minutes, the aircraft’s computer system also failed to report a foreign object ingestion alert. That all changed once the maintenance team shut off the engine. While the aircraft powered down, the team heard abnormal noises inside the engine.
Once the team made note of the noise, they performed their post-operations servicing inspection to identify the cause. There was clear damage to the engine’s blades, with one maintainer stating, “I believe [the engine] just ingested a flashlight.” The team needed a flashlight to install the metering valve, which they missed during a tool kit inventory check before running their fuel leak test.
Luckily, nobody was injured during the procedure. The cost of leaving a foreign body in the engine of an F-35 ran the Air Force an estimated $3,933,106, according to the report. That’s an expensive learning experience, but the maintenance team will most definitely conduct a more thorough tool kit inventory with all future assignments.
