A pilot made a miracle escape after crash from a F-35 fighter jet just moments before it plunged to the ground and exploded in a fireball.
The $135million jet crashed near crashed Tuesday afternoon at Albuquerque International Sunport in New Mexico, sending up a large plume of smoke and injuring the pilot.
The plane had left Fort Worth, Texas and was headed to Edwards Air Force Base near Los Angeles when it crashed on a hillside on the south side of the airfield.
The military fighter jet crashed after the pilot stopped to refuel at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico, manufacturer Lockheed Martin said.
The pilot, the only person on board, was taken to a nerby hospital with serious injuries and last reported to be in stable condition.
A $135million F-35 fighter jet crashed near crashed Tuesday afternoon at Albuquerque International Sunport in New Mexico , sending up a large plume of smoke and injuring the pilot
Emergency workers respond to a military plane crash near the Albuquerque International Airport on Tuesday, May 28, 2024
The plane had just taken off from Albuquerque and was heading to a base in southern California when it crashed near the international airport around 2pm.
The plane involved in the crash was a F-35 fighter jet, similar to one pictured here
Emergency crews were seen on the scene Tuesday afternoon, and the pilot was reportedly conscious when transported to the University of New Mexico Hospital.
Authorities have not released any cause of the wreck, but witnesses told KOB4 that the aircraft appeared to have some kind of issues shortly before taking off from the runway.
Patrick White, who was driving in the area at the time of the crash, told The Associated Press that he saw the aircraft trailing low to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dirt and dust.
He said it briefly disappeared from his line of sight, and then he saw 'an enormous plume of black smoke.'
The plane had left Fort Worth, Texas and was headed to Edwards Air Force Base near Los Angeles when it crashed on a hillside on the south side of the airfield
The military fighter jet crashed after the pilot stopped to refuel at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico, manufacturer Lockheed Martin said. Emergency crews are pictured at the scene
Flights from the airport were resumed, and the pilot - the only person in the plane - was reportedly conscious as they were transported away
A witness, who was driving in the area at the time of the crash, said he saw the aircraft trailing low to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dirt and dust
When he drove past the crash, he said he saw a piece of the fighter jet in the middle of the road.
A spokesperson for Kirtland Air Force Base, located just southeast of Sunport, told CBS News that the pilot had been 'ferrying' the F-35 from the Lockheed Martin facility at Naval Air Reserve Station in Fort Worth to the base in Los Angeles.
He stopped at Kirtland Air Force Base around 1pm to refuel and had just taken off for Edwards Air Force Base when the plane went down near the airfield.
Two civilians were also assessed at the scene, CBS reported, but were not transported to the hospital.
Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller took to X after the incident, tweeting: 'Grateful for the rapid action of the first responders who arrived to the scene. Praying for the pilot.'
DailyMail.com has approached Albuquerque police and both Air Force bases for more information.
Authorities have not released any cause of the wreck, but witnesses told KOB4 that the aircraft appeared to have some kind of issues shortly before taking off from the runway. Crews are pictured at the scene after the crash
Emergency crews are pictured on the scene Tuesday afternoon
Located on the southern edge of Albuquerque, Kirtland is home to the 377th Air Base Wing, which conducts nuclear operations and trains and equips expeditionary forces. It's also home to the Air Force Research Laboratory.
It marks the second crash of a military plane in New Mexico in the past month.
In April, an F-16 Fighting Falcon went down in a remote area near Holloman Air Force Base in the southern part of the state, leaving that pilot with minor injuries after he ejected from the aircraft.
