A Lockheed Martin F-35 developmental test aircraft crashed near Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ) on Tuesday afternoon, May 28th. The pilot, the sole occupant of the aircraft, sustained serious injuries but was able to egress from the aircraft.
According to Albuquerque Fire Rescue spokesperson Lt. Jason Fejer, emergency personnel responded to the crash site shortly before 2:00 pm local time. The aircraft, a developmental variant of the F-35 Lightning II, had just departed ABQ en route to Edwards Air Force Base in California when it went down near the airport’s southern perimeter. Firefighters were able to extinguish a post-crash blaze.
The injured pilot was transported to a nearby hospital for medical treatment. The pilot’s identity and affiliation, whether military service member or civilian test pilot, have not yet been officially confirmed. Two civilians in the vicinity of the crash were evaluated by medical personnel at the scene but did not require hospitalization.
The cause of the accident remains under investigation. Lockheed Martin and the U.S. Air Force are likely to collaborate on a comprehensive investigation to determine the cause of the crash. The extent of damage to the developmental F-35 will also be a key factor in the investigation.
Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller expressed his gratitude for the prompt response of first responders and offered well wishes for the pilot’s recovery. The incident caused a brief disruption to air traffic at ABQ, with flights resuming shortly after the crash site was secured.
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