An F-35 Lightning II fighter jet belonging to the US Air Force crashed on Tuesday north of Las Vegas during a training flight, as reported by the Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada. The incident occurred approximately 40 km northeast of Indian Springs, Nevada, within the controlled and restricted access airspace of the Nevada Test and Training Range, a vast area covering about 13,000 km2 and over 1.2 million acres, according to the 57th Wing overseeing the air base. The pilot ejected and was slightly injured, receiving immediate medical attention on site.
The manufacturer of the ejection seat, the British company Martin-Baker, confirmed the incident on social media.
Rare Incidents
The exact causes of the crash have not been disclosed yet, but sources mentioned to KSNV News that the pilot ejected after experiencing maneuvering difficulties. An investigation will be conducted to determine the events leading to the loss of the aircraft.
Aerospace Global News, a specialized aerospace website, notes that incidents involving F-35s are rare. In 2025, a crash of an F-35A at Eielson Air Force Base was attributed to hydraulic fluid contamination, while an incident in 2023 in South Carolina involving an F-35B was later linked to an electrical malfunction.
/2021/12/14/61b8b98d7c7ee_fabien-magnenou.png "War in the Middle East: Donald Trump threatens to destroy new civilian infrastructure in Iran")
