F-35 Fighter Jet Crashes Again, Pilot Safe

The F-35, the world’s most advanced and expensive fighter jet, has crashed for the second time in recent months. On Tuesday, an F-35 crashed at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska, resulting in a pilot bailout. According to the U.S. Air Force, the pilot was safe and uninjured but was taken to a hospital to recover.

Video Footage Captured by Witness

Video footage of the crash and ejection was captured by a witness and uploaded to social media. The footage can be viewed on YouTube.

The F-35: A Troubled Program

The F-35 is an embattled weapons system, with a price tag of $2 trillion, making it the most expensive weapon ever built. Even the Manhattan Project, which gave the world nuclear weapons, only cost around $30 billion in today’s dollars.

Criticism of the F-35 Program

The F-35 program has long drawn criticism from politicians and the public. It’s expensive and seems to crash a lot. Elon Musk, who is now in a position of authority in the U.S. government, criticized the F-35 in a post on X last year, calling it "a shit design."

Recent Crashes

In December 2022, an F-35B crashed while attempting to land at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth in Texas. The pilot ejected, and locals caught the crash on camera.

In January 2022, an F-35 crashed coming in for a landing on the USS Carl Vinson. An investigation blamed the pilot, and someone on the ship filmed the crash on their phone and leaked it to the internet.

In October 2022, an F-35 that crashed in Utah was caused by a software glitch, according to the Air Force.

In September 2023, an F-35 in South Carolina went missing for 30 days before being found in a field near a rural community. The pilot was safe, but the crash was not caught on camera.

Other Notable Crashes

In May 2023, an F-35 crashed near a road and produced an incredible amount of footage. The jet took off from Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico and crashed shortly thereafter.

In 2021, an F-35B shot itself.

In 2014, an F-35A’s engine caught fire on the runway.

In 2018, another F-35 in South Carolina crashed near Beaufort, South Carolina.

The Future of the F-35 Program

The F-35 is an expensive aircraft, and the Pentagon is under pressure to trim its budget. A man with a Crusader Kings II tattoo is running the Pentagon, and he has publicly expressed his disdain for the F-35. The White House is sending confusing signals about what military programs it will pay for.

Anything is possible in the world of defense contracts, and the future of the F-35 program is uncertain.