VIDEO - US F-35 fighter jet crashes at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska

An F-35 fighter jet crashed during a training exercise at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska on Tuesday, after the pilot experienced an in-flight malfunction and ejected before the aircraft crashed during the landing phase.

The pilot is in stable condition and is being evaluated at a medical facility. The US Air Force said it will investigate the incident to minimize future errors.

Eielson Air Force Base, located approximately 25 miles south of the city of Fairbanks, Alaska was selected in 2016 to host 54 F-35s, leading to a significant expansion of the base's infrastructure.

This incident follows a previous F-35 crash in South Carolina in September 2023, where the pilot ejected due to a malfunction, and the aircraft continued flying unmanned for 11 minutes before crashing. A Marine investigation later attributed that crash to pilot error.

The F-35 Lightning Joint Strike Fighter, produced by Lockheed Martin, is the most advanced fighter jet in the U.S. arsenal, with more than 972 warplanes already built and plans to produce more than 3,500 globally – it costs around USD 83 million.