A U.S. Air Force pilot is safe after their F-35 fighter jet crashed during a training session at a base in Alaska on Tuesday. The crash took place while the pilot was trying to land at Eielson Air Force Base, which is located about 25 miles south of Fairbanks.
The pilot had experienced a malfunction during the flight and declared an emergency before ejecting from the plane. Thankfully, the pilot was able to safely exit and parachuted to the ground. The good news is that they are in stable condition and are being checked out at a medical facility.
While the aircraft was severely damaged, the Air Force quickly reassured the public that the investigation into the cause of the crash would be thorough. Col. Paul Townsend, who oversees the fighter wing at the base, said that the goal is to learn from the incident and reduce the risk of it happening again.
Eielson Air Force Base, which has been home to a growing fleet of F-35 jets since 2016, has been expanding to accommodate the military’s needs. This includes the construction of new facilities and housing for the influx of airmen stationed there.
This crash is the latest in a series of F-35 incidents. Back in May, a similar fighter jet crashed after a refueling stop in New Mexico, and an investigation in October found that a pilot caused another crash by ejecting unnecessarily, leaving the jet to fly unmanned for several minutes before it went down. Despite these incidents, the Air Force remains committed to improving the safety of these advanced jets.
