An F-35A fighter jet’s landing gear collapsed at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, on June 8 when the aircraft was returning from a routine training flight, according to a base spokesperson.
The accident occurred at 10:45 a.m. local time. The pilot, part of the 388th Fighter Wing, was able to exit the aircraft and is undergoing a medical evaluation. Safety investigators will look into the incident, Hill Public Affairs Director Thomas Mullican said in an email.
“In response to the incident, the runway is currently closed and aircraft from Hill AFB in flight at the time of the incident have been diverted to other airports,” Mullican said. “Additional training flights have been paused until the runway reopens.”
The Lockheed Martin-built Joint Strike Fighter is the latest plane to suffer from a landing gear malfunction or other mishap in recent months. This is the third F-35A crash overall, including a USAF F-35 crash in May at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., and another involving a Japanese-owned jet. Four aircraft across the entire F-35 inventory, which spans Navy and Marine Corps and overseas variants, have experienced mishaps.
An F-15C’s landing gear also collapsed upon landing in Maryland in early May, and an A-10 landed on its belly in April.