In Albuquerque, New Mexico, an F-35 aircraft crashed, sending a pilot to the hospital.
Lt. Jason Fejer, Public Information Officer for Albuquerque Fire Rescue, reports that the crash happened just before 2:00 p.m. local time. After successfully ejecting, the pilot was taken to the hospital in critical condition.
Fejer informed KTSM that they transported the pilot and classified him as “red,” indicating that his severe injuries required immediate medical attention. On the scene, Fejer evaluated two additional civilians. When some of the debris came across the road and injured them, one patient refused treatment, while the other was not a patient.
The aircraft crashed just prior to moving off the runway, according to footage recovered from the crash scene. According to two Defense Department officials quoted in a CBS News story, the aircraft was a prototype version of the F-35.
Since the F-35 only carried one passenger, there was no crew when it crashed. The plane will set you back roughly $80 million.
When contacted for comment, the Federal Aviation Administration pointed the Washington Examiner in the direction of the Marines.
The maker of the aircraft, Lockheed Martin, informed the Washington Examiner that “an F-35B en route from Fort Worth, Texas, to Edwards Air Force Base, California, crashed after a refueling stop at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico.” “The pilot ejected safely. Our top priority is safety, and we will adhere to the proper investigative procedures.
According to Lockheed Martin, throughout more than 840,000 flying hours from more than 990 aircraft, the F-35 has had about 15 mishaps, one of which was deadly.
Long-standing performance issues have plagued it; according to a recent Government Accountability Office study, “the proportion of time the aircraft can complete one of its designated missions—was roughly 55% in March 2023.”
In September, after the pilot ejected, the Marines lost one of the F-35s for 25 hours, making headlines at the time.
