F-35 crashes at Hill Air Force Base; pilot 'made his best effort to avoid any buildings' - KSL.com

1 year ago 49

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HILL AIR FORCE BASE — An F-35A Lightning II combatant pitchy crashed astatine Hill Air Force Base connected Wednesday astir 6:15 p.m.

Officials accidental the aviator ejected and was recovered by exigency crews. The aviator was taken to a aesculapian halfway for observation.

Brock Thurgood, who owns spot successful South Weber adjacent the base, said the aviator landed adjacent his spot aft ejecting. Thurgood said helium heard a large roar and saw smoke, truthful helium got connected an all-terrain conveyance to investigate, on with his girl and 2 different adjacent residents.

"We went up determination and arsenic we're driving down the Canal Road ... looking for a mode to get up there, we looked implicit and saw him," Thurgood said. "He was waving his arms and yelling and walking down towards america and it was the pilot. I don't truly deliberation there's overmuch to accidental different than that he's OK, and that's the astir important part."

Thurgood said the aviator was successful reasonably bully shape, and though "his hands were bloodied up and helium was a small banged up, helium was walking and helium was coherent."

"I don't cognize however I'd beryllium aft I was successful a level clang but helium was amazingly tough," Thurgood said. "Also, helium conscionable seemed similar a truly bully idiosyncratic adjacent having conscionable been done thing that was astir apt brainsick to him."

Thurgood said they sat with the aviator until archetypal responders arrived, and helped them navigate the terrain to scope him. All things considered, helium said helium was impressed that the aviator managed to debar hitting immoderate of the houses successful the area.

"He did a dang bully job," Thurgood said. "He got it distant from homes, helium got it distant from people. He was a stud. I conscionable consciousness similar helium did a truly bully occupation and helium was truly lucky."

"I bash cognize that the aviator made his champion effort to debar immoderate buildings oregon thing connected the crushed anterior to ejection, and that resulted successful nary injuries to anyone connected the ground," said Col. Graig Andrle.

The pitchy crashed astatine the northbound extremity of the runway, according to a tweet from the 388th Fighter Wing, which operates retired of Hill Air Force Base. In a aboriginal tweet, officials asked civilians to debar the country wherever the clang occurred.

"Please respect exigency responders and debar the country of South Weber Drive," they said.

Mitt Nilson, 13, besides lives adjacent the clang site, and said helium was riding his dirtbike and witnessed the full crash. He said it started erstwhile helium noticed fume coming from the motor of the F-35 supra him.

"I heard this weird sound truthful I looked up, I looked astir and I saw this level with conscionable fume pouring retired of it," Nilson said.

Nilson said helium saw the aviator onshore successful a histrion connected a adjacent property, seconds earlier the level went down. He said helium saw "parts flying everywhere, parts of the wings, parts of the cockpit and past conscionable fire." He said helium was gladsome to perceive the aviator survived.

"I'm conscionable truly grateful that they really person the guts to spell and bash that," Nilson said.

Utah Fire Info tweeted that a downed subject craft sparked an 8- to 10-acre occurrence connected Defense Department land.

"Fire has been suppressed but continues with Haz-Mat and different needs," the tweet said.

The origin of the clang is being investigated.

"We person been successful connection with enactment @HAFB," said Gov. Spencer Cox successful a tweet. "We're praying for the information of the aviator and archetypal responders and volition proceed to show the situation."

Eyewitnesses to the clang oregon those who person recovered thing that whitethorn beryllium related are asked to telephone 801-777-0911 oregon email 75abw.pa@us.af.mil and see their name, address, telephone fig and immoderate applicable details.