F-22 crashes on Eglin range, Pilot Ejects safely

Nearby Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., canceled a planned flyover because of the crash.

An F-22 assigned to the 43rd Fighter Squadron, part of the 325th Fighter Wing currently based at Eglin AFB, crashed at approximately 9:15 a.m. on May, 15, 2020. The location of the accident was 12 miles northeast of Eglin main base on the test and training range. 

The pilot ejected safely from the aircraft and has been transported to the 96th Medical Group hospital on Eglin for evaluation and observation, Eglin said in the news release.  He is currently in stable condition.  The name of the pilot has not been released.

There were no other individuals on the aircraft.  There was no loss of life or civilian property damage related to the accident.

First responders from the 96th Test Wing are on the scene.  The crash site is secured. 

The mission was a routine training flight with the 33rd Fighter Wing.  A board of officers will investigate the accident.

Nearby Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., canceled a planned flyover because of the crash, the base said in a statement.

The US Air Force (USAF) moved many of the F-22s previously based there to other Raptor bases after a Category 5 hurricane struck Tyndall in the fall of 2018. According to Air Force Magazine, the F-22s that remained have been split between Tyndall and Eglin as the service conducts environmental impact studies needed to complete movement of the aircraft. The F-22s are leaving Tyndall to make room for 72 F-35s.

Noteworthy this is the fifth crash of an F-22 which results in the destruction of the aircraft. According to Air Force Safety Center data the last total loss occurred in 2013. As of the end of fiscal 2019, there had been 44 total “Class A” mishaps with the aircraft, meaning the loss of a life or total damages of more than $2 million.

Photo credit: U.S. Air Force