An F-35 warplane, one of the most expensive within the United States Air Force’s fleet, has spun out of control before crashing in Alaska and exploding upon impact.
The pilot of the fighter jet ejected and was transported to an army hospital for further evaluation, according to a statement from the Air Force base.
The site of the crash was identified as 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, where the warplane went down.
The Air Force is trying to refurbish its ageing fleet with such new aircraft.
Last year, the Marine Corps launched an investigation into an F-35 warplane that went missing in 2023, and had flown for 11 minutes after the pilot ejected before the crash.
The probe found that incident was the result of “pilot error.”
Also last year, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said a warplane had been shot down over the Red Sea in, what it claimed to be, a case of “friendly fire,” amid Washington’s escalated aggression on the Yemeni soil in support of the Israeli regime.
Reporting on December 22, CENTCOM alleged that the F/A-18F Super Hornet had been mistakenly shot down, while confirming that both of its US Navy aviators were safe.