An F-35 Lightning II fighter jet crashed Wednesday evening at Hill Air Force Base in Ogden, Utah, forcing the pilot to eject.
The pilot was returning from a training mission recovery when the jet went down, according to CNN. The pilot was taken to a local medical facility after ejecting from the jet. Nobody on the ground was injured due from the crash.
Emergency crews have been called out to Hill Air Force Base after an F-35 fighter jet crashed on the runway.
Video taken just moments after the crash.
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“All of us pilots take every opportunity we have to mitigate the damage to anything on the ground, so I do know that the pilot made his best effort to avoid any buildings or anything on the ground prior to ejection,” said Colonel Craig Andrle, 388th Fighter Wing commander, reported CNN.
Scott Phillips is a nearby resident who likes to watch the jets land and saw the crash.
“They land generally towards the south as they did today. On approach, one appeared to lose power and dipped too low below the trees,” Phillips said, according to CNN. “Next thing I saw was fire.” (RELATED: Leaked Video Shows Missing F-35 Fighter Jet Crashing While Attempting To Land)
The crash started a fire that grew to roughly eight to 10 acres, according to a tweet by Utah Fire Info. Fire crews quickly extinguished the fire.
“Flying military aircraft is a risky business that we all accept when we go do it. And these things happen,” Andrle said, CNN reported.
“And so tonight, first and foremost, we’re thankful that he’s okay. He got out of the aircraft,” Andrle added about the pilot. “We’re thankful that nobody on the ground was injured.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox released a statement on the crash, KUTV reported.
“We’re praying for the safety of the pilot and first responders and will continue to monitor the situation,” Cox said, according to KUTV.