{"id":58091,"date":"2021-07-23T16:03:18","date_gmt":"2021-07-23T16:03:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/uncategorized\/2021\/07\/23\/lightning-strike-grounds-2-f-35b-lightning-ii-jets\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T10:39:25","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T10:39:25","slug":"lightning-strike-grounds-2-f-35b-lightning-ii-jets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2021\/07\/23\/lightning-strike-grounds-2-f-35b-lightning-ii-jets\/","title":{"rendered":"In-flight lightning strike grounds 2 F-35B Lightning II jets"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

On July 13, two F-35B lightning<\/a> II jets based out of Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, were severely damaged after being struck by lightning in flight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both planes were able to land safely and no Marines were injured in the incident, according to the Marine Corps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the lightning-on-lightning violence caused enough damage to both aircraft to classify each incident as a Class A mishap.<\/a> Class A mishaps are defined as incidents that result in either death or permanent disability, or more than $2.5 million in damages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAfter conducting our standard reporting and assessment procedures, the weather-related incident was labeled as a class \u2018A\u2019 mishap due to the combined projected repair costs exceeding two and a half million U.S. dollars,\u201d Capt. Marco A. Valenzuela, a spokesman for Marine Air Group 12. told Marine Corps Times in an email.<\/p>\n\n\n\t