▁lights ▁and ▁the ▁run way ▁was ▁only ▁briefly ▁ill umin ated ▁to ▁facil itate ▁land ings ▁and ▁take offs . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁production ▁aircraft , ▁ 8 0 - 1 0 7 8 5 ▁was ▁ready ▁for ▁its ▁first ▁flight ▁on ▁ 2 0 ▁April ▁ 1 9 8 2 . ▁However , ▁unknown ▁to ▁anyone , ▁the ▁fly - by - wire ▁system ▁had ▁been ▁hook ed ▁up ▁incorrectly ▁( p itch ▁was ▁y aw ▁and ▁vice ▁vers a ). ▁Upon ▁lif to ff , ▁the ▁plane ▁immediately ▁went ▁out ▁of ▁control . ▁Instead ▁of ▁the ▁nose ▁pitch ing ▁up , ▁it ▁went ▁horizontal . ▁The ▁aircraft ▁went ▁invert ed ▁and ▁ended ▁up ▁travel ing ▁backwards ▁through ▁the ▁air . ▁The ▁pilot ▁had ▁no ▁time ▁to ▁e ject , ▁and ▁the ▁aircraft ▁fle w ▁into ▁the ▁ground . ▁The ▁aircraft ▁was ▁dam aged ▁beyond ▁repair , ▁but ▁some ▁of ▁its ▁parts ▁could ▁be ▁salv aged . ▁ ▁On ▁ 1 0 ▁November ▁ 1 9 8 8 , ▁the ▁long - rum ored ▁existence ▁of ▁the ▁" F - 1 1 7 ▁Ste alth ▁F ighter " ▁was ▁finally ▁officially ▁confirmed ▁by ▁the ▁Pent agon . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 0 ▁the ▁last ▁F - 1 1 7 A ▁was ▁delivered . ▁and ▁the ▁flight ▁test ▁squad ron ▁no ▁longer ▁had ▁to ▁perform ▁accept ance ▁fl ights ▁at ▁Gro om ▁Lake . ▁However , ▁the ▁flight ▁test ▁duties ▁still ▁included ▁fl ights ▁for ▁ref urb ished ▁aircraft ▁received ▁from