A pilot was hospitalized after a military fighter jet crashed Tuesday near Albuquerque International Airport in New Mexico, CBS News reported.
A military pilot suffered serious injuries when an F-35 fighter jet crashed shortly after departing from Albuquerque for Edwards Air Force Base in Southern California, according to CBS News. Lockheed Martin provided the developmental model jet, which went down just south of the airport before 2 p.m., Albuquerque Fire Rescue confirmed.
BREAKING: A military aircraft has crashed off of the airfield on the southside of the Sunport. One soul aboard, pilot is conscious and being transported. Flight operations have resumed, but check with your airline for flight status. Media stage at Kevothermal along University.
— ABQ Sunport (@ABQSunport) May 28, 2024
Lieutenant Jason Fejer, a fire department spokesperson, said in a video posted online that the pilot, who was the only person on board, escaped the aircraft and was quickly taken to a nearby hospital with serious injuries. Although the pilot was conscious, the extent of the injuries remains a concern. (RELATED: Video Shows Aircraft Make Dramatic Crash Landing After Narrowly Dodging Buildings And Trees)
The aircraft crashed on the southern side of the Sunport, prompting a rapid response from multiple emergency agencies, Fejer added. He added that two civilians were evaluated at the scene but did not need hospitalization. Aerial footage from KOB-TV showed firefighters extinguishing flames engulfing the aircraft wreckage. This coordinated effort prevented further casualties or damage.
The mayor of Albuquerque, Tim Keller listens as his wife Kistin Keller cries while speaking to reporters outside the Tornillo Port of Entry where minors crossing the border without the proper papers have been housed after being separated from adults June 21, 2018 in Tornillo, Texas. Image not from story (Photo credit BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
Albuquerque Democratic Mayor Tim Keller praised the first responders for their quick action and expressed his concern for the injured pilot.
“Grateful for the rapid action of the first responders who arrived to the scene. Praying for the pilot,” Keller wrote on Twitter.
