F-35 Crashes in New Mexico While En Route for Servicing

A U.S. Military aircraft crashed in New Mexico on Tuesday, shortly after taking off on a flight to a Lockheed Martin factory for servicing. The aircraft, identified as an F-35 belonging to the U.S. Marine Corps, went down near Albuquerque.

According to a U.S. official speaking to ABC News, the plane was being flown by a defense contract management agency pilot at the time of the incident. Local news outlet KOAT reported that the crash occurred just before 2 p.m.

“Earlier today just before 2 p.m. we started getting reports of a possible aircraft down,” said Lt. Jason Fejer, Public Information Officer for Albuquerque Fire Rescue. “Bernalillo County was the first on scene here, they did confirm downed aircraft and started making a search for the pilot and starting fire suppression efforts.”

Key Details:

• Immediate Response
  Albuquerque Fire Rescue, Bernalillo County, and Kirtland Air Force Base quickly coordinated efforts to respond to the crash.

• Pilot Condition
  The pilot, who managed to eject, was transported to a hospital with serious injuries. Two other civilians at the scene were also evaluated for potential injuries.

• Ongoing Investigation
  Lt. Fejer noted that Kirtland Air Force Base and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will be conducting a thorough investigation into the crash. He advised the public to avoid the area to allow for an uninterrupted investigation.

“The road is going to be shut down here for an extended time,” Fejer said. “We’re advising people to please avoid the area, let this investigation run its course, and they will get things back open up as soon as possible.”

As the scene is being secured and the investigation proceeds, authorities are focusing on determining the cause of the crash and ensuring that all necessary safety protocols are followed.

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