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F-35 Fleet Is Grounded by US Air Force Over Ejection-Seat Worries
- Temporary groundings also are affecting other military planes
- Explosive cartridges to propel seats from planes may be flawed
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The US Air Force has grounded its fleet of F-35 jets temporarily, citing a potentially faulty component in the ejection seat that could endanger pilots in an emergency, a concern that also grounded other types of military planes that are used in training.
The issue involves the explosive cartridges inside ejection seats that help propel the seat -- and the pilot -- from the plane during an emergency, Alexi Worley, spokeswoman for the Air Force’s Air Combat Command, said in a statement Friday.