A U.S. Air Force pilot is safe after an F-35 fighter jet crashed during a training exercise at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska on Tuesday.
Col. Paul Townsend, commander of the 354th Fighter Wing, said the pilot encountered an "inflight malfunction" and ejected before the aircraft crashed during its landing phase. The pilot had declared an inflight emergency before the incident and was taken to a medical facility in stable condition for evaluation.
The crash, which occurred early Tuesday afternoon, resulted in significant damage to the aircraft, according to an Air Force statement. Eielson Air Force Base is located about 25 miles south of Fairbanks.
Col. Paul Townsend stated that the Air Force will conduct a thorough investigation to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Eielson Air Force Base was chosen in 2016 to host 54 F-35s, leading to a $500 million expansion that included 36 new buildings, housing units, and the arrival of about 3,500 active-duty airmen and their families.
The F-35, capable of flying for more than 12 hours, can reach nearly anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere in a single mission.
This crash follows other recent F-35 incidents. In May, a jet en route from Texas to Edwards Air Force Base crashed after refueling in New Mexico, leaving the pilot with serious injuries. In October, a Marine investigation determined that a pilot unnecessarily ejected from an F-35 in 2023, allowing the aircraft to fly unmanned for 11 minutes before crashing in rural South Carolina.
