Air Force Launches Investigation Following F-35 Crash in Alaska

Pilot safely ejected in the accident that occurred during the landing sequence at Eielson Air Force Base.

Wednesday, January 29, 2025 at 12:36 PM ET

Verified

An F-35A Lightning II takes off for routine training on Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, December 18, 2023. [Credit: U.S. Air Force]

Key Takeaways:

A U.S. Air Force F-35 Lightning II crashed at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, on Tuesday during a training exercise.
The pilot safely ejected after reporting an in-flight emergency and was taken to a hospital in stable condition.
The F-35 suffered significant damage and exploded on impact, with Air Force officials stating a thorough investigation will be conducted.

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A U.S. Air Force pilot is safe after ejecting from an F-35 Lightning II that crashed while landing during a training exercise at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, on Tuesday.

According to Air Force officials, the pilot reported an in-flight emergency during the landing sequence and ejected to safety. The accident occurred at 12:49 p.m. AKST within the fence line of the base, which is located approximately 25 miles south of Fairbanks.

Meg Godlewski

Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.