A dramatic video shows the jet plummeting from the sky as its ejected pilot descends to safety.
An F-35 fighter jet crashed at Eielson Air Force Base near Fairbanks, Alaska, around 1 pm on Tuesday, with authorities reporting that the incident caused “significant damage” to the aircraft. However, a video circulating online suggests the jet was completely destroyed as it dropped from the sky and slammed into the runway.
The pilot was unharmed and was transported to Bassett Army Hospital for evaluation. The crash occurred within the base’s perimeter, and emergency services, including ambulances and fire trucks, responded quickly. The affected area on the runway has been secured, and an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the incident.
A dramatic video, apparently filmed by base personnel and leaked online, shows the jet plummeting from the sky while the pilot safely descends by parachute.
BREAKING:
🇺🇲 F-35 fighter jet crashes at Alaska’s Eielson Air Force Base
pic.twitter.com/WZbDUqn2Mc— Megatron (@Megatron_ron) January 29, 2025
“Our people are our most important resource, and we are committed to ensuring their safety and security,” said Col. Paul Townsend, commander of the 354th Fighter Wing.
The Air Force has launched a thorough investigation into the crash. “It’s still under investigation, so they’re trying to confirm all the details,” Eielson spokesperson Staff Sgt. Kimberly Touchet told the Associated Press.
Eielson Air Force Base, located approximately 25 miles south of Fairbanks, was selected in 2016 to host 54 F-35s, leading to a significant expansion of the facility. The base’s strategic location allows fighter jets to reach anywhere in the northern hemisphere in a single sortie.
This incident follows other F-35 incidents in recent years, including a crash in May 2024 during a flight from Texas to California, and an October 2023 incident where a pilot ejected unnecessarily, leaving the aircraft to fly unmanned before crashing in South Carolina.
I’m amazed the thing actually got off of the ground in the first place…..
The F35 contains some amazing technology, but only one engine. Once that goes, it’s “Martin Baker time”.
Engine was running – looks more like a system failure with the computers.
What happens when the Enemy hacks your computer system?
This is what hasn’t been tested in an actual war. It all works well with huge infrastucture behind it – – but if that’s damaged or infiltrated… what then?
Will it be a Chinese A.I. Moment??
How difficult is it to steady aim the friggin cam onto what’s happening?
Dud shouldn’t be around an airport.
This looks like a directed EMP or a command via satellite.
Fly-By-Wire systems are f@#king DANGEROUS!
Remember the A-380 that had the engine explode after take off in *Singapore (*I think it was Singapore? or Malaysia maybe???)
I’ll take push-rods, cables and pulleys, and bell-cranks and hydraulic boost systems any day over the computerised mess that is redundant to the point it causes a vicious circle of over-diagnosis while the plane goes down.
The safest flight control systems in any large airplane are the ones on board the C-130 Hercules; 2 separate flight control systems, electric trims w/ an emergency feature, and Ronson / Electro hydraulic actuators. The actuators even have hydraulic cut-out switches in the event an actuator leaks from either side of the booster or utility hydraulic systems.
The flaps are operated by hydraulic motors attached to jack screws, and pose no fire or failure dangers.
The Landing gear is the same, with manual cranks (330 turns) in the even of utility hydraulic systems failure, or electrical relay failure in the landing gear control solenoid that shifts the hydraulic landing gear control valve.
The Hercules was built for combat, and with systems that are designed to survive that environment. It’s too bad that these system designed for adverse environments aren’t adapted for Commercial aircraft design.