Two F-35A Lightning II aircraft fly over the Alaska Range en route to their new home at the 354th Fighter Wing, Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, April 21, 2020. (US Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Adam Keele)
WASHINGTON — A US Air Force F-35A crashed at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska Tuesday afternoon, according to a statement from the base. The jet’s pilot ejected safely and was taken to Bassett Army Hospital for evaluation but was deemed to be in stable condition.
The crash occurred at 12:49 p.m. local time near the base’s air field and within its fenceline. Video circulating on social media showed the jet tumbling in free fall with its landing gear down just before impact, as what is presumably the aircraft’s pilot floated toward the ground with a parachute deployed. The stealth fighter exploded on impact and is likely a total loss.
Emphasizing that it’s “premature to speculate” about what led to the crash, Air Force Col. Paul Townsend, commander of the 354th Fighter Wing at Eielson, told reporters that “the pilot was executing standard procedures and executing their respective mission, and essentially experienced an in-flight malfunction” before declaring an emergency and safely ejecting. The aircraft was in a “landing phase” after conducting a “local training event,” Townsend said.
Eielson is located in the interior of Alaska, about two dozen miles southeast of the city of Fairbanks. The 354th Fighter Wing is “the northernmost fighter wing in the world,” according to the wing’s website. The first F-35s were delivered to the base in 2020.
Russ Goemaere, a spokesman for the F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO), said in a statement to Breaking Defense that “The JPO will support the Air Force in the investigation of the mishap. We are committed to ensuring the safety of our warfighters.”
F-35 manufacturer Lockheed Martin said in a statement that the company is “aware of the F-35 incident at Eielson Air Force Base. Safety is our priority, and we are standing by to support the United States Air Force as needed.”
The Eielson F-35 crash is the second for the stealth jet in a year. A short takeoff and vertical landing F-35B developmental test jet previously crashed into a hillside in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in May 2024, adding strain to the program’s limited test fleet. The pilot involved in that mishap safely ejected as well.
A full investigation will be carried out into the crash, and results could take months, if not longer, to become public.
“We are confident in the capability of that platform as the US’s premier fifth-generation fighter,” Townsend said of the F-35, stressing that the crash investigation will “uncover” any contributing factors to the incident. “But right now, I can stand and say that I have full faith in the capabilities of the F-35A.”
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