A U.S. Air Force F-35 fighter jet crashed during a training exercise at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska on Tuesday afternoon, causing significant damage to the aircraft. The pilot, who had declared an inflight emergency before the crash, managed to eject safely and is in stable condition, officials confirmed.
Col. Paul Townsend, commander of the 354th Fighter Wing, stated that the crash occurred during the landing phase due to an “inflight malfunction.” The pilot was immediately taken to a medical facility for evaluation.
Eielson Air Force Base, located about 25 miles (40 kilometers) south of Fairbanks, is home to a fleet of 54 F-35s following an expansion in 2016 that involved over half a billion dollars in infrastructure development, including 36 new buildings and additional housing units for thousands of personnel.
The Air Force has launched an investigation into the incident to determine the cause and prevent future occurrences.
