Eyewitness describes seeing F-35 fall from sky at Eielson Air Force Base

FAIRBANKS, Alaska (KTUU/KTVF) - It was an average Tuesday for Joseph Henderson as he was on his way to pick up some dog food, driving on the highway next to Eielson Air Force Base when he noticed something off — an F-35 Lightning II Jet falling from the sky.

“It was a spectacle to see, and ... it could have been a tragedy,” Henderson said.

According to Colonel Paul Townsend, Commander of the 354th Fighter Wing, the fighter jet experienced an in-flight malfunction but cannot confirm exactly what went wrong to cause the jet to fall from the sky.

“I think it’s premature to speculate on the causes of the incident, the pilot was executing standard procedures and executing their respective mission,” Townsend said.

The pilot of the jet was safe and was transported to Bassett Army Hospital for further evaluation.

From the ground, Henderson says he saw two jets take off and could tell something was wrong with the jet that appeared to malfunction.

“As they took off and started getting up in the air, the one on the right peeled off to the right, and the one that had trouble peeled off to the left. I knew there was something wrong with the plane,” he explained.

As the jet was falling Henderson stopped his truck because he wasn’t sure where the jet would land.

“As it went up in flames and I didn’t want to drive any further because I thought when it was coming down, it was actually going to hit us,” he said.

Henderson, who has been in Alaska for a while, says he’s seen a few pilots lose their lives, noting that it usually comes from people stalling their planes and he is relieved the pilot is safe.

“I mean this is tough work and dangerous work and like today, I think is an eye opener for a lot of people that this man survived,” he said.

The event will be investigated by the Accident Investigation Board within the Air Force as they work to prevent it from happening again.

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