--- title: "Air Force pilot injured in F-35B crash in New Mexico" description: "An Air Force pilot is listed in serious but stable condition after an F-35B crashed on Tuesday in New Mexico." date: "2024-05-28" modified: "2024-05-29" authors: - name: "Jeff Schogol" job_title: "Senior Pentagon Reporter" link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/jeff-schogol/" url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/news/f-35-new-mexico-crash/" categories: - "News" tags: - "Crash" --- # Air Force pilot injured in F-35B crash in New Mexico ![F-35B]() *A U.S. F-35B Lightning II prepares to launch for the first ski jump short takeoff flight test with weapons. Navy photo by Dane Wiedmann.* A U.S. Air Force pilot was injured after ejecting from an F-35B Joint Strike fighter that crashed on Tuesday in New Mexico, said Air Force spokeswoman Rose Riley. The pilot was taken to a local hospital and is listed in serious but stable condition, Riley told Task & Purpose on Wednesday. At the time of the crash, the pilot was assigned to the Defense Contract Management Agency and the plane was enroute to Edwards Air Force Base, California. [KOB-TV in Albuquerque]() reported that the pilot was conscious and breathing after the crash. No information was immediately available about what may have caused the crash. The F-35 went down after making a refueling stop at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, according to a statement from prime F-35 contractor Lockheed Martin. “This was a U.S. Government-owned and-operated aircraft that was being flown by a government pilot who safely ejected,” the company’s statement says. “The aircraft was a test jet equipped with Technology Refresh 2 (TR-2) and was transferring to Edwards AFB for additional test equipment modification. Safety is our priority, and we will follow appropriate investigation protocols” [**Subscribe to Task & Purpose**]() **today. Get the latest military news and culture in your inbox daily.** No further information was immediately available about which entity the F-35B belonged to at the time of the crash. Lockheed builds the F-35 in Fort Worth, Texas. The F-35B is a Short Take-Off and Vertical Landing aircraft that is used by the Marine Corps. A Government Accountability Office report released in April called the F-35 [the Pentagon's "most ambitious and costly weapon system".]() The three services currently fly about 630 F-35s, with plans to buy about 2,500 total by the mid-2040s, the GAO said. The F-35B is used only by the Marine Corps. The F-35A is used by the Air Force while both the Marines and the Navy fly the F-35C. The Pentagon plans to spend $2 trillion to buy and maintain the fleet before the last one's scheduled retirement in 2088. ***UPDATE: 05/29/2024;** this story was updated with information from the Air Force and Lockheed Martin.* ## The latest on Task & Purpose - [**Married Marines**]() **graduate from Parris Island boot camp together** - **USS Carney had ‘**[**seconds**]()**’ to respond to anti-ship ballistic missiles** - **18th Airborne Corps orders soldiers on staff duty to** [**get some sleep**]() - **Bud Anderson, the last World War II ‘**[**triple ace**]()**,’ dies at 102** - **Air Force general will jump from one to three stars to** [**lead air commandos**]() ## Author Jeff Schogol is the senior Pentagon reporter for Task & Purpose. He reports on both the Defense Department as a whole as well as individual services, covering a variety of topics that include personnel, policy, military justice, deployments, and technology. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]() [Twitter]()