F-35 jets grounded: Fire during takeoff grounds entire F-35 fleet
F-35 jets grounded: Air Force and Navy officials have grounded the entire F-35 fleet after an initial investigation into a runway fire on June 23, when an F-35 jet caught fire during takeoff
An F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter takes off on a training sortie at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida in this March 6, 2012 file photo.
Randy Gon/US Air Force/Reuters/File
WASHINGTON
US military officials have grounded all F-35 fighter jets while continuing to investigate a runway fire involving an F-35 at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida.
In a statement issued Thursday, the Pentagon's press secretary said Air Force and Navy officials ordered the F-35 fleet grounded after initial findings in the June 23 incident.
Officials said at the time that the jet caught fire during takeoff. No one was hurt, and the cause remains under investigation.
The Pentagon says that additional inspections of F-35 engines have been ordered, and that the return to flight of the F-35 fleet will be determined based on inspection results and analysis of engineering data.
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