A US Air Force pilot survived a single-seat F-35 fighter jet crash at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska on Tuesday.
The pilot had an “in-flight malfunction” but was able to eject safely, Colonel Paul Townsend, commander of the 354th Fighter Wing, told reporters.
The plane crashed during the “landing phase” at Eielson Air Force Base, he added.
Townsend said the pilot declared an emergency before the crash and is now in stable condition and undergoing tests at a medical facility.
The US Air Force said in a statement that the crash occurred at approximately 12:49 p.m. and caused “significant damage” to the aircraft.
Townsend said the pilot was participating in a routine training exercise in local airspace when the crash occurred, and that the Air Force would conduct a “thorough investigation to reduce the chances of such incidents occurring in the future.”
The F-35 is a long-range, supersonic fighter with advanced camouflage capabilities and, with an endurance of more than 12 hours, can reach any point in the Northern Hemisphere on a single mission.
