Air Force F-35 crashes on Utah runway
Emergency crews responded to an F-35 that crashed at the north end of the runway in Utah on Wednesday. Officials reported that no one was harmed and the pilot safely ejected from the plane.
A new video shows the wreckage of an Air Force F-35 fighter jet that crashed at the end of a runway in Utah.
Small fires are seen on the ground in the area around the aircraft.
The Wednesday crash occurred at Hill Air Force Base at approximately 6:15 p.m. local time.
The 388th Fighter Wing said on Twitter that the F-35 A Lightning II crashed at the north end of the base’s runway.
AIR FORCE F-35 CRASHES AT END OF RUNWAY IN UTAH
“On and off base emergency crews responded immediately,” it said.
A view shows smoke after an F-35 crashed at Hill Air Force Base, in Washington Terrace, Utah, United States, October 19, 2022, in this picture obtained from social media.
(Dustin Chapman via REUTERS)
The pilot ejected, was recovered and was transported to a local medical center for observation.
The cause of the crash is unknown and will be investigated.
A view shows smoke after an F-35 crashed at Hill Air Force Base, in Washington Terrace, Utah, United States, October 19, 2022, in this picture obtained from social media.
(Dustin Chapman via REUTERS)
“First and foremost, we’re thankful that he’s okay [and] that he got out of the aircraft,” Col. Craig Andrle, commander of the 388th Fighter Wing, said during an evening press conference. “We’re thankful that nobody on the ground was injured and we’ll start the process of figuring out what happened from here.”
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“The system in the aircraft is designed to get you out of the jet safely and to the ground,” he continued. “And it worked as advertised today.”
A view shows smoke after an F-35 crashed at Hill Air Force Base, in Washington Terrace, Utah, United States, October 19, 2022, in this picture obtained from social media.
(Dustin Chapman via REUTERS)
Andrle said the pilot was coming back from a routine training mission.
Brock Thurgood, who owns property in South Weber, told KSL.com that the pilot was “walking and he was coherent,” but that his hands were “bloodied up and he was a little banged up.”
“I don’t know how I’d be after I was in a plane crash, but he was surprisingly tough,” he said.
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Hill Force Air Base is located about 30 miles north of Salt Lake City, Utah.
Fox News’ Adam Sabes and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
