A newly released U.S. Air Force Accident Investigation Board report sheds light on the 28 January crash of an F-35A Lightning II at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska, confirming that the pilot spent 50 minutes on a mid-air conference call with five Lockheed Martin engineers in a bid to resolve mechanical problems before ejecting. Investigators found that roughly one-third of the hydraulic fluid in the fighter’s nose and right main landing-gear systems was water, which froze at the ground temperature of −1 °F. The contamination locked the nose wheel at a 17-degree angle, preventing proper retraction or extension and prompting the aircraft’s computers to enter automated ground-operation mode while still airborne. During the call, engineers and the pilot reviewed checklists and attempted two touch-and-go landings to straighten the jammed gear. Those maneuvers further immobilized all three landing gears, leaving the $200 million jet uncontrollable and forcing the pilot to eject; he suffered only minor injuries as the aircraft was destroyed on impact. The board concluded that hydraulic icing, inadequate oversight of hazardous-material handling, and crew decision-making—including advice given during the in-flight call—contributed to the accident. It noted that Lockheed Martin had warned of similar cold-weather sensor issues in an April 2024 maintenance bulletin and recorded a related but non-fatal incident at the same base nine days after the crash. Lockheed Martin has not publicly commented on the latest findings.