An Air Force F-35 jet crashed and exploded on a Utah runway following the safe ejection of the pilot.
The crash occurred at Hill Air Force Base, as confirmed by the base’s Twitter account and that of the 388th Fighter Wing, to which the plane belonged. The account confirmed that the pilot was uninjured but taken to a medical center for observation. The cause of the crash is unknown.
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“The pilot ejected, was recovered and has been taken to local medical center for observation. The cause of the crash is unknown and will be investigated. More information will be provided as it becomes available,” the 388th Fighter Wing tweeted.
The pilot ejected, was recovered and has been taken to local medical center for observation. The cause of the crash is unknown and will be investigated. More information will be provided as it becomes available.
— 388th Fighter Wing (@388fw) October 20, 2022
Video taken just after the crash showed a fire raging at the crash site, shared by KUTV2 News.
Emergency crews have been called out to Hill Air Force Base after an F-35 fighter jet crashed on the runway.
Video taken just moments after the crash.
?: Dave Laub via https://t.co/rfXQN8lDEa
MORE: https://t.co/UJrlMu33KG pic.twitter.com/0NTfrKFgIa
— KUTV2news (@KUTV2News) October 20, 2022
In an evening press conference after the crash, the commander of the 388th, Col. Craig R. Andrle, praised the safety features of the $80 million plane, crediting it for saving the pilot.
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“The system in the aircraft is designed to get you out of the jet safely and to the ground,” he said, according to Fox News Digital. “And it worked as advertised today.”
