South Korea has grounded its entire fleet of advanced F-35 fighter jets, officials said Wednesday, pending a probe into a dramatic emergency landing.
After landing gear on a South Korean F-35A stopped working due to a major system malfunction, the pilot chose not to eject and instead landed the jet on its belly, walking away without any injuries.
The heart-stopping incident on Tuesday at an air force base in the west of the country has resulted in a probe during which South Korean F-35 s will be grounded.
The entire F-35 fleet is suspended from flying with the investigation under way, a defense ministry official said.
South Korea ordered 40 F-35 A variants from its American maker Lockheed Martin in 2014 and received the first batch five years later.
Shin Ok-Chul, the Republic of Korea Air Force vice chief of staff, shared the dramatic details at a parliamentary hearing on Wednesday.
Shin told lawmakers that the F-35 A was flying at low altitude when the pilot heard bangs, prompting him to check aircraft systems.
He said that all systems had stopped working except for flight controls and the engine. He added that the pilot then chose not to eject and decided to attempt a belly landing.
The military sprayed a special foam on the runway at the air force base to prevent an explosion from the friction caused by the plane making contact with the surface at high speed, Shin said.
He said it was the first time a belly landing was attempted in an F-35.
The supersonic F-35 Lightning II is one of the most powerful and agile fighters in the world, featuring stealth technology and advanced communications.
Its three variants are designed for a wide variety of missions.
It is considered the most expensive weapons system ever developed by the United States, despite the fact that its per-unit cost has gone down in recent years.
The program has been plagued by numerous delays, cost overruns and technical setbacks.
Before the South Korean incident, a British F-35 B plunging into the Mediterranean during takeoff from the HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier was the subject of a British F-35 B plunging into the Mediterranean.