A US Air Force pilot sustained injuries after ejecting from an F-35B jet that crashed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Tuesday. The incident occurred around 1:50pm after the aircraft had refueled at Kirtland Air Force Base.
The F-35B jet, valued at $135 million, crashed just south of Albuquerque International Sunport. According to KOB4, the pilot, the sole occupant, ejected safely and was transported to the University of New Mexico hospital in stable condition.
The aircraft had been on a flight from a Lockheed Martin facility at the Naval Air Reserve Station in Fort Worth, Texas, to Edwards Air Force Base in California when it crashed.Photos from the crash site reveal the scorched wreckage of the jet burning in a field beside a road.
Air Force officials confirmed the pilot’s stable condition and noted that the cause of the crash is still under investigation. Kirtland Air Force Base is leading the investigation, and a spokesperson stated that more information would be released as it becomes available.
This crash marks the second military plane incident in New Mexico in recent months. In April, an F-16 Fighting Falcon, costing approximately $63 million, crashed in a remote area near Holloman Air Force Base. The pilot of that aircraft also ejected and suffered minor injuries.
Kirtland Air Force Base, located on the southern edge of Albuquerque, hosts the 377th Air Base Wing, responsible for nuclear operations and training and equipping expeditionary forces. The base is also home to the Air Force Research Laboratory.
