A pilot has recovered safely after an F-35 fighter jet crashed at Hill Air Force Base south of Ogden, Utah, on Wednesday, according to the Room 388.
The F-35A Lightning II crashed around 6:15 p.m. local time on the north end of the base’s runway, the wing said on social media. No one on the ground was injured, authorities said.
“The pilot ejected, was recovered and taken to the local medical facility for observation,” Hill Air Force Base tweeted. No further details about the pilot’s condition were available.
The cause of the crash is unknown and will be investigated, the wing said.
The pilot was returning to Hill Air Force Base after a routine training mission when he was ejected from the plane, Col. Craig Andrle, commander of the 388th Fighter Wing, told a news conference.
“All of us as pilots take every opportunity we get to mitigate damage to anything on the ground, so I know the pilot did his best to avoid any building or anything on the ground before ejection.” Andre said.
Videos from the scene showed a large plume of smoke coming from the Air Force base after the military plane crashed.
The accident caused a fire that spread between eight and 10 acres in size, according to a cheep of Utah Fire Information. Crews were able to extinguish the fire, authorities said.
Nearby resident Scott Phillips told CNN he saw the plane go down.
“I was in my house…. mowing the lawn and watching the F-35 land like they do basically every night. We love to see them go and come home,” Phillips said.
“They generally land to the south like they did today. On approach, one seemed to lose power and dropped too far below the trees. The next thing I saw was fire.”
Hill Air Force Base is an Air Force Materiel Command base, according to its website. It is the second largest Air Force base by population and geographic size.
“Flying military aircraft is a risky business that we all accept when we do it. And these things happen,” Andrle said. “And tonight, first and foremost, we’re thankful that he’s okay. He got off the plane. We are grateful that no one on the ground was injured.”