TOKYO — Japan’s air force said on Monday “spatial disorientation” likely caused one of its pilots to fly his F-35 stealth fighters into the Pacific Ocean in April, hitting the water at more than 1,100 km/h. “We believe it highly likely the pilot was suffering from vertigo or spatial disorientation and wasn’t aware of his condition,” Defence Minister Takeshi Iwaya told a briefing. The air force did not find any indication he had attempted to eject. Debris from the plane is spread across the sea floor about 1,500 meters below where it slammed into the water. Japan in December said it would buy 45 more F-35 stealth fighters, including some short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL)B variants, worth about $4 billion, adding to the 42 jets it has ordered.

Source: National Post June 10, 2019 06:22 UTC