An American F-35B fighter jet accidentally shot itself with an artillery piece.
A US Marine Corps F-35B short takeoff and landing fighter fired a 25 mm cannon at itself. The incident occurred in Arizona on March 12, 2021, but it became known only recently.
According to The Drive portal, after the shell burst, the lower part of the fuselage was damaged. Fortunately, the pilot was not injured and he even managed to land the plane on the base.
However, the Maritime Safety Center classified the accident as a Class A accident. This is the highest level in the scale of emergency of the US armed forces. It is awarded in the event of material damage in the amount of at least $ 2.5 million, the total loss of the aircraft, the death of one or more people, as well as if as a result of injuries and injuries, the victims became disabled.
Details of the accident are unclear. It is only known that at the time of the shot, a "tracer semi-armor-piercing high-explosive incendiary shell" PGU-32 / B SAPHEI-T exploded.
With proper operation, the fuse is triggered with a small delay after hitting the target. The explosion also spreads a small amount of zirconium, which self-ignites on contact with air and burns at very high temperatures, causing additional damage.
Apparently, the cause of the incident is caused by a malfunction of the ammunition.
Oleg Koryakin
