A U.S. Air Force pilot was reported safe after a single-seat F-35 fighter jet crashed during a training exercise at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska. The pilot experienced an inflight malfunction but was able to eject from the aircraft before it crashed during the landing phase. The pilot declared an inflight emergency prior to the crash and was in stable condition at a medical facility. The crash caused significant damage to the aircraft.
Eielson Air Force Base, located 25 miles south of Fairbanks, was selected in 2016 to host 54 F-35s, resulting in a half-billion dollar expansion that included new buildings and housing units for 3,500 new active duty airmen and their families. The F-35 has the capability to fly for over 12 hours and reach almost anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere in one mission.
In May, an F-35 crashed on its way from Texas to Edwards Air Force Base in California after the pilot stopped to refuel in New Mexico. The pilot sustained serious injuries. In a separate incident in October, a Marine investigation revealed that a pilot ejected from an F-35 unnecessarily, causing the plane to fly unmanned for 11 minutes before crashing in South Carolina. The Air Force stated that they would conduct a thorough investigation to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
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