Military Plane Crashes and Catches Fire Near Albuquerque Sunport, Pilot Injured

The Albuquerque Sunport was the scene of a dramatic incident on Tuesday as a military plane crashed and caught fire, leaving the pilot injured. According to Albuquerque Fire Rescue officials, the plane went down off the airfield on the south side of the Sunport. Fortunately, the pilot was able to eject himself from the plane before it burst into flames and was quickly transported to a nearby hospital where he is reported to be in stable condition.

The aircraft involved in the crash was identified as a new F-35 belonging to the U.S. Marine Corps, on its way from the Lockheed factory to be put into service. At the time of the crash, the plane was being flown by a defense contract management agency pilot. Thankfully, the pilot was the only person on board and no other injuries were reported.

As this is a developing story, stay tuned to KOAT for the latest updates on this incident near the Albuquerque Sunport.