알래스카 에일슨 공군기지에서 F-35A가 추락

[위종민]

현지 시간으로 지난 1월 28일 화요일 오후 12시 49분 알래스카 에일슨 공군기지 근방에서 F-35A가 추락했습니다. 파일럿은 이젝션에 성공해 바셋 육군병원으로 이송됐으며 안정된 상태라고 하네요. 해당 기체는 훈련중이었으며, 기지로 복귀하던 중이었다고 합니다. 

F-35A crashes in Alaska, pilot ejects safely - Breaking Defense

F-35A crashes in Alaska, pilot ejects safely - Breaking Defense

F-35A crashes in Alaska, pilot ejects safely

The jet was participating in a training event and crashed while coming in for landing at Eielson Air Force Base near Fairbanks, Alaska, according to Col. Paul Townsend, commander of the 354th Fighter Wing.

By   Michael Marrowon January 29, 2025 at 10:49 AM

Two F-35A Lightning II aircraft fly over the Alaska Range en route to their new home at the 354th Fighter Wing, Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, April 21, 2020. (US Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Adam Keele)

WASHINGTON — A US Air Force F-35A crashed at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska Tuesday afternoon, according to a statement from the base. The jet’s pilot ejected safely and was taken to Bassett Army Hospital for eval‎uation but was deemed to be in stable condition.

The crash occurred at 12:49 p.m. local time near the base’s air field and within its fenceline. Video circulating on social media showed the jet tumbling in free fall with its landing gear down just before impact, as what is presumably the aircraft’s pilot floated toward the ground with a parachute deployed. The stealth fighter exploded on impact and is likely a total loss.

Emphasizing that it’s “premature to speculate” about what led to the crash, Air Force Col. Paul Townsend, commander of the 354th Fighter Wing at Eielson, told reporters that “the pilot was executing standard procedures and executing their respective mission, and essentially experienced an in-flight malfunction” before declaring an emergency and safely ejecting. The aircraft was in a “landing phase” after conducting a “local training event,” Townsend said. 

Eielson is located in the interior of Alaska, about two dozen miles southeast of the city of Fairbanks. The 354th Fighter Wing is “the northernmost fighter wing in the world,” according to the wing’s website. The first F-35s were delivered to the base in 2020. 

Russ Goemaere, a spokesman for the F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO), said in a statement to Breaking Defense that “The JPO will support the Air Force in the investigation of the mishap. We are committed to ensuring the safety of our warfighters.”

F-35 manufacturer Lockheed Martin said in a statement that the company is “aware of the F-35 incident at Eielson Air Force Base. Safety is our priority, and we are standing by to support the United States Air Force as needed.”

The Eielson F-35 crash is the second for the stealth jet in a year. A short takeoff and vertical landing F-35B developmental test jet previously crashed into a hillside in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in May 2024, adding strain to the program’s limited test fleet. The pilot involved in that mishap safely ejected as well. 

A full investigation will be carried out into the crash, and results could take months, if not longer, to become public. 

“We are confident in the capability of that platform as the US’s premier fifth-generation fighter,” Townsend said of the F-35, stressing that the crash investigation will “uncover” any contributing factors to the incident. “But right now, I can stand and say that I have full faith in the capabilities of the F-35A.” 

JUST IN: F-35 fighter jet crashes at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska. The pilot survived pic.twitter.com/zEuPNY8jqk

— BNO News (@BNONews) January 29, 2025

[강준구]

엔진이 꺼져서 낙엽처럼 떨어지는군요. 기사에 따르면 착륙 단계였다고 하고, 영상에도 랜딩기어가 내려온 게 보입니다. 음.. 날개 사이즈가 작아서 양력이 부족한 구조 + 랜딩기어가 내려옴으로 인한 항력 증가로 인해 엔진 failure가 되니 바로 자유 낙하해 버리네요.
공군의 서산 동체 착륙 사건에서도 엔진은 살아 있었으니, 동체 착륙이 가능했겠다는 생각도 드네요. 뚱뚱한 몸매로 인해 참..

[위종민]

활강 비슷한 것도 안 하고 그냥 돌멩이 떨어지듯 떨어져 버리네요. 날개달린 물건이 맞긴 맞나 싶을 정도입니다.

[강준구]

네. 착륙 과정 중에 떨어지는 거면 그래도 뭔가 활공의 느낌이 있을줄 알았는데, 자유 낙하를 해 버리네요. 워낙 뚱뚱해서 그런걸까요?