(VIDEO) Watch the Moment a U.S. F-35 Fighter Jet Crashes at Alaska Air Base
(VIDEO) The incident, which occurred at 12:49 p.m. (local time) on January 28, resulted in the aircraft sustaining "significant damage" at the airbase, which houses the 354th Fighter Wing, according to an official statement.
(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) – A United States Air Force (USAF) fifth-generation F-35 fighter jet has crashed at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska, with video footage showing the aircraft plummeting towards the ground as the pilot remained suspended in his parachute after successfully ejecting.
The incident, which occurred at 12:49 p.m. (local time) on January 28, resulted in the aircraft sustaining “significant damage” at the airbase, which houses the 354th Fighter Wing, according to an official statement.
“The F-35 pilot is safe and has been transferred to Basset Army Hospital for further observation,” the base commander stated.
The commander also noted that the U.S. Air Force would conduct “a thorough investigation in hopes of minimizing the chances of such occurrences from happening again.”
Videos circulating on social media platforms depict the ill-fated F-35 with its landing gear extended, seemingly oscillating left and right before crashing violently.
A parachuted individual, believed to be the pilot, can be seen descending towards the ground not far from the crash site.
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This marks the first major U.S. Air Force aircraft incident of 2025.
It comes approximately seven weeks after a U.S.-allied Syrian Democratic Forces unit mistakenly shot down an MQ-9 Reaper drone over Syria.
In May last year, an F-35B fighter jet operated by a U.S. Air Force pilot crashed in New Mexico shortly after takeoff.
At the time, the Air Force reported that the pilot ejected at low altitude but sustained serious injuries.
The fifth-generation F-35 fighter jet is the most expensive defense program in U.S. history and a key revenue driver for defense contractor Lockheed Martin, contributing approximately 30 perceNt of the company’s earnings.
Recently, Lockheed Martin announced that its 2025 profit outlook would be lower than expected, partly due to delays in the rollout of upgrades for the F-35.
F-35
The U.S. Department of Defense plans to allocate $1.7 trillion to the F-35 program, which includes the procurement of 2,500 aircraft over the coming decades.
Eielson Air Force Base was selected in 2016 to host 54 F-35 fighter jets as part of a base expansion project costing over half a billion dollars.
The expansion included the construction of 36 new buildings and multiple housing units to accommodate approximately 3,500 active-duty airmen and their dependents.