On Tuesday this week, a single engine F-35 Air Force jet crashed during a training exercise. The pilot has been reported to be safe but the plane suffered significant damage. The pilot reports to have experienced a “significant malfunction” during the training exercise but was able to eject from the aircraft. The event occurred during the final phases of flight during the approach to landing at Eielson Air Force Base, located in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska.
The pilot is reported otherwise be in stable condition after being evaluated by a local medical facility after declaring an emergency while still in flight. Martin-Baker says this was the 10th successful pilot ejection from the F-35.
Col. Paul Townsend is the commander of the 354th Fighter Wing and released a statement saying “the Air Force will conduct a thorough investigation in hopes to minimize the chances of such occurrences from happening again.”
The Minnesota Star Tribune reports that the F-35 jet has the capability to fly more than 12 hours at a time, and can reach almost anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere in one mission.
This story was originally reported by Becky Bohrer of the Associated Press, contributed from Juneau, Alaska.