Lockheed Martin faces mounting pressure as safety concerns emerge across its aircraft divisions. The recent crash of an F-35 fighter jet in California, though resulting in the pilot’s safe ejection, has cast a shadow over the company’s flagship program. This incident adds to Lockheed’s troubles as its helicopter subsidiary Sikorsky grapples with potentially catastrophic technical deficiencies.
Altitude Measurement Flaws Raise Investor Concerns
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has uncovered serious flaws in altitude measuring equipment on Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopters, with discrepancies of up to 40 meters from actual flight heights. These findings follow January’s devastating collision between a Black Hawk and a passenger jet over the Potomac River that claimed 67 lives. NTSB Chairperson questioned whether all civilian Sikorsky helicopters might share similar defects, prompting the Federal Aviation Administration to impose flight restrictions in March after determining the issue presented an "unacceptable risk" to civil aviation. The military’s apparent dismissal of these discrepancies as non-critical to safety has further intensified regulatory scrutiny and market uncertainty.
