F-35 pilot ejects before crash at Alaska base

An Air Force pilot was forced to eject before their F-35 fighter jet crashed in a fiery explosion Tuesday during a training exercise at an Alaskan base.

The pilot experienced an “inflight malfunction” while flying at Eielson Air Force Base but was safely able to eject from the aircraft, Col. Paul Townsend, commander of the 354th Fighter Wing, told reporters.

“The pilot was executing standard procedures and executing their respective mission and essentially experienced an inflight malfunction,” he said, adding that the pilot had declared an emergency prior to the crash.

He also noted that the Lockheed Martin-made aircraft crashed as it was attempting to land at the base.

Video of the crash quickly circulated on social media channels, showing the F-35 in an uncontrolled spin as it plummeted toward the ground, erupting in a fireball upon impact.

In a separate statement, Eielson Air Force Base officials said that the incident occurred around 12:49 p.m. and resulted in “significant damage” to the F-35 Lightning II aircraft.

The pilot was safe and taken to Bassett Army Community Hospital, according to the release.

“I can assure you the United States Air Force will conduct a thorough investigation into this incident to minimize the chances of such occurrences from happening again,” Townsend said in the statement.

Eielson Air Force Base, located about 25 miles south of Fairbanks, Alaska, was chosen in 2016 to host 54 F-35s. The new aircraft was a massive expansion for the military installation, as it cost more than a $500 million to house and maintain the planes in new buildings as well as house the 3,500 new active-duty airmen and their dependents that were moved to Alaska.

The first F-35s were positioned at Eielson in April 2020.

Tuesday’s crash is the 11th F-35 accident since 2018 and comes less than a year after an F-35 accident in May. In that incident, an F-35 on its way from Texas to Edwards Air Force Base near Los Angeles crashed after taking off following a refueling stop in New Mexico. The pilot had serious injuries.

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