The US Navy said it took 37 days for rescue teams to successfully recover the F-35C that crashed while landing on the aircraft carrier on January 24.
On March 2, the US Navy successfully recovered the F-35 that crashed in the South China Sea. The US Navy’s 7th Fleet announced in a news release on Thursday, March 3.
The statement said that the F-35C fifth-generation fighter jet plunged into the sea after unsuccessfully landing on the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, while performing routine flight operations on January 24.
To retrieve the wreckage of the plane from a depth of about 3,800 meters, a team of members of the US Navy used a remote control vehicle called CURV-21 to attach lifting lines and specialized equipment to recover aircraft from the bottom of the ocean.
“The aircraft will be transferred to a nearby military facility to assist with the ongoing investigation and assess the possible delivery to the United States,” the statement said.
It took the team 37 days to salvage the plane. The force involved includes members of Task Force 75 of the US Navy’s 7th Fleet, the Marine Command’s Diving and Rescue Supervisors unit. Experts used the specialized diving support vessel “Picasso” to retrieve the debris.
Seven people were injured, including the pilot, and six others on board the aircraft carrier in the January incident. The $100 million fighter jet is the newest in the fleet.
The plane broke four support cables on the deck, which are normally used to hook into the tail and hold the plane as it lands. Lots of debris scattered along the catapult on deck.
The pilot was flown to Manila, Philippines, along with two other sailors who were injured in the accident. Four other injured sailors were treated by medics on board the Wesson.
After the crash, the US Navy said it planned to recover all the wreckage of the plane from the ocean. The F-35C contains some of the most advanced technology available today, and analysts say Washington does not want the plane to fall into the hands of Beijing.
However, China’s foreign ministry asserted that the US Navy’s stealthy fighter jet that crashed in the South China Sea was of no benefit to China’s aircraft development.
Video of the crash shows the plane bursting into flames as it crashed into the flight deck of the USS Carl Vinson. Not long after the accident, naval officials said the damage to the Carl Vinson was only external and that the ship quickly resumed normal operations.
Five sailors, including a junior officer, were later charged with leaking a second video, showing the actual accident being captured by one of the ship’s surveillance cameras.