$100M US F-35 Fighter Jet Crashes in Alaska, Pilot Hospitalized

By Staff, Agencies

An F-35 warplane, one of the most expensive in the United States Air Force’s fleet, lost control before crashing in Alaska and exploding upon impact.

The pilot ejected safely and was transported to an army hospital for evaluation, according to a statement from the Air Force base. The crash occurred at Eielson Air Force Base in Fairbanks, Alaska.

"I can assure you the United States Air Force will conduct a thorough investigation in hopes to minimize the chances of such occurrences from happening again," said Col. Paul Townsend, commander of the base.

The Air Force is working to upgrade its aging fleet with new aircraft. Last year, the Marine Corps investigated an F-35 warplane that went missing in 2023, flying for 11 minutes after the pilot ejected before crashing. The probe concluded that the incident resulted from “pilot error.”

Additionally, in 2023, the US Central Command [CENTCOM] reported that a warplane was shot down over the Red Sea in what it described as a case of “friendly fire.” The incident occurred amid Washington’s escalated aggression against Yemen in support of the "Israeli" entity.

On December 22, CENTCOM confirmed that an F/A-18F Super Hornet was mistakenly shot down, but both US Navy aviators survived.