F-35 pilot ejects before crash at Alaska base
The pilot experienced an 'inflight malfunction' while flying at Eielson Air Force Base but was safely able to eject from the aircraft, Col. Paul Townsend, commander of the 354th Fighter Wing, told reporters.
'The pilot was executing standard procedures and executing their respective mission and essentially experienced an inflight malfunction,' he said, adding that the pilot had declared an emergency prior to the crash.
He also noted that the Lockheed Martin-made aircraft crashed as it was attempting to land at the base.
Video of the crash quickly circulated on social media channels, showing the F-35 in an uncontrolled spin as it plummeted toward the ground, erupting in a fireball upon impact.
In a separate statement, Eielson Air Force Base officials said that the incident occurred around 12:49 p.m. and resulted in 'significant damage' to the F-35 Lightning II aircraft.
The pilot was safe and taken to Bassett Army Community Hospital, according to the release.
'I can assure you the United States Air Force will conduct a thorough investigation into this incident to minimize the chances of such occurrences from happening again,' Townsend said in the statement.
Eielson Air Force Base, located about 25 miles south of Fairbanks, Alaska, was chosen in 2016 to host 54 F-35s. The new aircraft was a massive expansion for the military installation, as it cost more than a $500 million to house and maintain the planes in new buildings as well as house the 3,500 new active-duty airmen and their dependents that were moved to Alaska.
The first F-35s were positioned at Eielson in April 2020.
Tuesday's crash is the 11th F-35 accident since 2018 and comes less than a year after an F-35 accident in May. In that incident, an F-35 on its way from Texas to Edwards Air Force Base near Los Angeles crashed after taking off following a refueling stop in New Mexico. The pilot had serious injuries.
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Buzz Feed
3 days ago
- Buzz Feed
36 Jaw-Dropping Stories About Impossible In-Laws
Reddit user u/fuzzyloulou recently posed the question: "Married people of Reddit, what's something you just hate about your in-laws?" "Hate" is a pretty strong word, but most people responded with some genuine grievances they have with their in-laws' behavior. BuzzFeed Community members also chimed in with some gripes of their own. Here's what people shared: "We have more money than my MIL, and she is so jealous of my husband's success. She'll make fun of our vacations, say she'd never live in a 'snobby' place, wouldn't work as a corporate exec, or drive cars that weren't made in America. We don't put anything on Facebook or anywhere else. I guess his sister tells her? But she always posts about how her son thinks he is so great. You know what? He fucking is. Sorry, he came from broke ass, miserable people and made a success of himself. You'd think she'd be proud of him. It's all envy disguised as disdain. What mother gets mad when her kid does well in life?" "My MIL? I love her; she's great. My FIL? He cheated on my MIL with her sister, and still sees said sister every week while somehow still remaining married to my MIL. He bought himself and the sister a new car while my MIL drives a 20-year-old F-150. When he's home, all he does is drink Budweiser from 11:00 a.m. on and watch TV. And, he complains about everyone else in the family. He doesn't come to his grandkids' birthday parties, and instead just hands us cash to go buy something and to say it's from him. On several occasions, he's been at nice dinners and gotten drunk and belligerent to the point of embarrassing everyone with him." "The way they travel. They constantly need to overpack, shop for stuff to take home, etc.. It always results in half a dozen overweight suitcases and carry-ons that they then ALWAYS have to reorganize to handle the weight. They ALWAYS expect everyone in the group to pack light to accommodate in case they have to dump their stuff on you. I hate it, and it ticks me off every time." "When we go to my in-laws, we never leave the house. We sit in the den, watch TV 12 hours a day, and listen to my FIL crap on anything and everything he sees on the idiot box. We finally told them that the condition for our coming was to turn off Fox News. It's not just because he's 84 and a grumpy old man. He's been doing this for the past 30 years. Everybody and everything is 'stupid,' except for him. It's just this constant stream of negativity. My MIL isn't much better. She will sit there and talk about everybody else under the sun and how foolish those people are. I've started leaving for a couple of hours for a sanity break. I have to demand that my children go visit them once a year." "My MIL treats her son like a baby. She also says things like, 'No one can love you like I love you,' and seems to assume I'm just using her son for money and childcare…because she was like that when raising her kids. Other than that, she's a super funny and charismatic person. I try to give her the benefit of the doubt, as she's just a protective mom, but I can say I will not be treating my children or in-laws like that." "My MIL asked my husband's whole family to wear crosses to our wedding so it wouldn't be 'godless and satanic.' Why? Because my mother was officiating. She stalks my 11-year-old stepdaughter, who is no contact with said MIL due to extreme panic attacks whenever she has to see her grandmother. gave me an individually wrapped dish sponge for Christmas last year." "My MIL isn't too nice to the kids. Granted, she has 15 grandkids, but you can tell which ones she likes which she likes less. My kids are in the middle." "My in-laws are terrible with money. They filed for bankruptcy and then decided not to make some payments. So my husband and I took over their finances and put them on a budget to make ends meet. Are they grateful? Nope!! When we tell them they don't have money to go out to eat, we get told that we don't care about them. It got so bad that we've told them not to talk to us anymore. We manage the finances, but any communication to us has to go through one of my husband's siblings." "Their concept of time. They're all always shamelessly late to everything. And, they act like it's a cardinal sin to be early. They think they're 'early' if they stroll in just in the nick of time. For example, I've told them, 'We have to be there at 7:00, and it's a 20-minute drive, so we should leave by 6:35 at the latest. So, you need to be at our house at 6:30 so we can load the car.' 'Why so early? I'll be at your house at 6:45.' Then, they show up at 6:55 and can't understand why I'm angry. And, we get to where we're supposed to be at 7:15, and they can't understand why everyone there is mad. At least my husband has gotten better about it. He still hates to be anywhere early, but he plans and takes steps to be on time, not late." "My former MIL was always on the selfish side and 100% had her favorites. She went out of her way to tell me she took a religious oath a long time ago to prevent her children from marrying people of MY religion, but she was okay with it since I'm not practicing. Fast forward many years, sadly, our only child passed away from childhood cancer, and my mother passed less than a year later. The upcoming Mother's Day was the first for me without either my child or my mother, so I was a wreck. I'm a motherless child and a childless mother, but she had to play it up that SHE was more distraught because of the loss of her grandchild than I was over both, so that she could get my husband's attention. She is a miserable woman who can't stand not being the center of attention." "They have four kids, and the only boy is their favorite. They ignore their daughters, which includes my wife. The heartbreak she feels every time they blow her off to go spend more time with their son is gut-wrenching. They took him to Vegas on her birthday two years in a row." "The way they come over to my house unannounced. They just show up, then get mad at me for being in the shower or not at home because I'm running errands. I know I'm a stay-at-home mom, but dang, I still have to go run errands outside the house. I also don't like the way they insist they can have our baby whenever they please, without our permission." "My in-laws are racist, and I'm Mexican. They've never made comments directed towards me specifically, but they have made comments about Mexican immigrants. My parents are immigrants, and my in-laws know this. I stopped going to any event with them, and thankfully, they moved out of state. My partner spends holidays with them, and I stay and enjoy the holidays with my family. I haven't seen them in two years." "My FIL called my wife and her three sisters 'whores' all while standing in MY house. Reason, you ask? They all got married outside of the Catholic faith. We haven't spoken in six years. Best six years of my life." "My MIL is the cheapest woman I have ever met. I have hundreds of stories and examples. Last Christmas, she gave me a can of nuts from Goodwill. She said she didn't feel comfortable getting us a wedding gift. She won a cruise to Alaska and took our son, which was very sweet, but she refused to pay for anything during the trip. They ate sandwiches in the room and spent most days walking around Juneau. He wanted to come home on day two. I have fixed things, helped her move, mowed her lawn, and done a dozen other things. She has never once bought dinner as a thank you or to celebrate a special event. Years ago, we had a bad time and asked if we could live in her house for two months. She insisted on charging us rent. She has missed funerals and weddings because she will not pay for travel or a hotel. I will stop now because I could go on forever." "I'm pretty sure my MIL has never heard the word 'no.' Apparently, I introduced it to her because she thinks she can just announce she wants to visit or say she wants this or that, and expects everyone to comply. Here I came along and was like, NOPE! Safe to say we don't have a great relationship and have moved away from her TWICE!" "The gossiping about us to anyone who will listen. And, the guilt trips. Every single guilt trip tactic to get us to drag our family of four across the country to go see them. Also, they were absolute trash parents to my husband. They both allowed physical, mental, and verbal abuse to run rampant, and now have the audacity to expect a relationship with their adult child." "Where to start? They are racist bigots who, despite only being Christmas Christians who haven't been to church in 40 years, didn't like their son marrying a Jew. We bought their house over 20 years ago, and my MIL has not said anything nice about anything we've changed, as though it should have been kept a shrine to her style. They moved away years ago and have only visited their son maybe three times. They made a trip to the state once without telling him because they were visiting his uncle and didn't visit their son. And when we first bought the house, I, a Jew, did my best to host a festive Christmas for them, only to be told they wouldn't return for Christmas ever again because it 'wasn't what they were expecting.' I could go on for hours with examples." "My MIL still blames me for moving her daughter away and can't believe we moved for better economic opportunities 11 years ago. She will call my wife and cry almost every other night about how she doesn't know how much time she has left, and she refuses to visit, even when we offer to pay the travel expenses. She puts on this poor-me sob story every time we visit. My GOD, just STFU!" "How critical they are of my partner. He is loving, kind, smart, and unique. Nothing he ever does will ever be enough for them. As a result, he has major anxiety and perfectionist issues. He's hard on himself and constantly apologizes for minor things. I wish he knew how awesome he is. For this reason, I've chewed out both his dad and mom, but they were clueless. What issues? If things were different, I'd love to be close to them, but I see how dysfunctional they are and am totally okay with zero contact." "Mine used my wedding as their own personal photoshoot, often taking their son/my groom away to snap family pictures. They then posted all the pictures of themselves in the group chat, and only one of me, which was just of my back at the altar. They also managed to get a photo of just the groom cutting the cake alone, without me in the photo, though we were obviously standing close together. I don't think they were malicious; they're just very self-centered people with zero social awareness." "The number one thing is that they are drama vampires. They can't live without it. Everything is about them; if it isn't, it will be soon. They are cartoonishly childish, and it's as ridiculous as it is sad. I feel terrible for my spouse and her siblings. Every family get-together is a mess. Number two is that they can't make a plan without overcomplicating the ever-loving crap out of it, which my wife has inherited." "I judge my step-MIL because she posts EVERYTHING on Facebook. I swear she can't take a poop without posting." "They are good people, but also the pickiest eaters I have ever met. It has to be genetic. Their entire diet consists of Rice-A-Roni, overcooked, baked chicken, and Ragu pasta. They will not venture out and try anything that they deem too 'exotic' or potentially mildly spicy. For example, chicken tacos sound too wild for them. It has to be Taco Bell-style ground beef." "I get along great with my MIL and FIL as individual people and have close relationships with both, but good god, they have a horrible relationship. It's really awkward sometimes. I have no idea how or why they are still together. They literally hate each other. Early in our relationship, I attempted to gently inquire about what I had observed after getting to know my wife's parents a bit. Before I even finished asking, she casually said, 'Yeah, they should have divorced a long, long time ago. We (her siblings) all think they need to give it up.'" "How fake they are. They just care about their image and how they appear to others. Very little, if anything, is genuine about them." "I absolutely love my in-laws, but compared to my family, they are REALLY loud. Like, instead of taking turns talking, they just talk louder over each other until someone listens. I leave with a headache, including when I sneak to an empty room for peace." "The constant criticism. I married their only son, and nothing I do is good enough. My house is never clean enough, my 1-year-old doesn't 'behave,' and my cooking sucks. The passive aggressiveness is so overwhelming." "My husband's mother and two sisters really went out of their way to make me feel unwanted and disliked early in our marriage. They judged me, gave me the cold shoulder, and criticized everything I did. Joke's on them. My husband and I have been married for 30 years. So, I learned a lesson: Screw the naysayers. Haters gonna hate." "They are terrible with money and have tried to drag my immediate family down with them. I've had to stop acting like an ATM for them, and they're resentful that we won't support their BS anymore." "My MIL refuses to discuss anything that bothers her. She just goes dead silent for a moment, then pivots to a different subject." "My step-MIL could definitely be represented here. She's a piece of work. She's a teacher but literally hates children; all she does is complain about her horrible students, who are kindergarten kids. And often she treats the grandkids like she would rather be anywhere else but with them. She also has some really bizarre hang-ups about my husband's mom. My FIL and MIL divorced almost 30 years ago, and yet, step-MIL felt it necessary to bring up during my recent baby shower that she and FIL had now been married longer than he and MIL. She did this out loud to other people while my saint of a MIL was no more than three feet away. Why would that even matter?! She's an odd bird." "My in-laws are very nice people, but they have two things that really bug me. They have never-ending visits, and they do this with their entire family. I don't want to have house guests for two weeks. Second, they don't help at all when they visit. You used a cup, and you just saw me load the dishwasher? Put the cup in the dishwasher, not the sink. My son is autistic and has been known to get out of the house. Just keep an eye on him if I step away for a minute. Don't tell me he left the house and just sit there. When he was a baby, no one ever offered to feed him, change a diaper, or even give me a break to nap and just play with him. It's exhausting." "My wife's dad is a very 'I'm right, you're wrong' kind of person. If he's not right, he refuses to admit it and will just leave and not speak to you for a long time. Then, he'll show back up and act like nothing happened." "I adore my FIL and step-MIL. They are supportive, welcoming, and fun. They are both really Type A and 'super planners,' which can sometimes be a little irritating, but we have a huge family, and their organization makes for seamless and enjoyable family gatherings. I love my MIL, but she is not the most pleasant person to be around. She is very passive-aggressive and is one of those people who always wants to be miserable. When we get together, she spends most of the time complaining about how her sons never want to see her. She also recruits them to do things for her (which they would happily do) by implying that they owe her because 'I gave birth to you!' It's just exhausting." And: "There's nothing I really hate about my in-laws, but my MIL occasionally says some things that give me pause when she's in the room. For example, she wished me a happy birthday recently, to which I casually replied, 'Just another trip around the sun.' My comment resulted in a 20-minute lecture about how the sun actually orbits the Earth, based on her visual observation of it rising in the east and setting in the west every day. I often wonder how much of my partner's childhood trauma is a direct result of her mother's 'unusual' beliefs." What's the most frustrating thing your in-laws do? Tell us in the comments or share anonymously using this form. Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
Business Insider
4 days ago
- Business Insider
Investigation finds $13 million US military Reaper drone crashed into the sea after an unexplained failure saw its propeller fall off
The US military lost one of its Reaper drones after a part failed, causing the propeller to fall off on a mission last year and forcing the $13 million combat aircraft to make a crash landing in the Mediterranean Sea, a recently released investigation revealed. A US Air Force investigation report released last month determined that the costly mishap, which occurred in December 2024, was caused by a failure in a mechanical part connecting the MQ-9A Reaper drone's engine with its propeller. The specific reason for that failure, however, was unclear as the drone wasn't retrieved. The Reaper drone, a combat and reconnaissance platform, belonged to the 432nd Wing of Nevada's Creech Air Force Base and was scheduled to carry out an operational mission on December 16 over or around the Mediterranean Sea. The remotely piloted aircraft took off at 1 pm Zulu time from an undisclosed location within the European Command area of responsibility. About four hours later, while the drone was flying at cruising air speed and altitude, its engine torque display dropped from normal levels to a complete loss of torque within a second. The MQ-9 "experienced a loss of air speed and began an uncommanded descent," the report said. As the drone descended, operators — members of the 20th Attack Squadron from Missouri's Whiteman Air Force Base — spent 16 minutes trying to maintain control and restore thrust to the MQ-9 falling out of the sky. The recently released Air Force investigation, first reported by Air & Space Forces Magazine, said that the operator eventually realized that the drone's engine had internal damage, and they shut it down. The crew then decided to make a forced landing in the Mediterranean — the last data received suggested came in just as the MQ-9 was about to impact the water. There were no injuries or damage to civilian property, the report said, sharing that the drone — valued at exactly $13,154,585 — was not recovered. Air Force investigators said that "the cause of the mishap was a failure within the Splined Coupling Assembly." This "led to a sudden and permanent mechanical decoupling of the propeller from the engine resulting in an unrecoverable loss of thrust." General Atomics, the US defense company that makes the MQ-9 Reaper, said that the Spiral Retaining Ring was the most likely cause of the failure, although it was impossible to determine with certainty because the wreckage — and, with it, evidence — could not be collected. The Reaper, the US military's drone of choice for combat and reconnaissance missions, has suffered a string of mishaps in recent years, including several "Class A" incidents, meaning that the incident resulted in damage greater than or equal to $2.5 million or a destroyed aircraft. Air Force safety data shows 5 in 2021 and just as many the year prior. More recent safety data wasn't immediately available. American Reaper drones have also been targeted by US foes. In 2023, for instance, a Russian Su-27 fighter jet clipped the propeller of an MQ-9 operating above the Black Sea, forcing the uncrewed aircraft to crash land in the water. That year, Russian aircraft also repeatedly harassed US Reaper drones operating over Syria, engaging in behaviors like flying in close proximity to the MQ-9s. In one incident, a Su-35 fighter jet released flares on a drone and damaged its propeller. The Iran-backed Houthis have also shot down several Reaper drones that the US had been using to support its military operations against the Yemeni rebels.
Buzz Feed
6 days ago
- Buzz Feed
Americans Share Why They're Most Proud Of Their State
Recently, someone in one Reddit thread asked Americans if they're proud to be from their home state. There were varying opinions, but to my surprise, many people from different states took great pride in where they grew up. Here's what 18 people had to say about the place they call home. For the most part, the responses are actually super wholesome: "Super proud to be a lifelong Washingtonian because it's so versatile. So much diverse nature, culture, and the state has cared about us as long as I've lived." –Goatgamer1016 "Kansan here, grew up in a very small farm town. Spent a decade in a huge city on the East Coast, moved back to Kansas. Happy to have had the experience of living on the East Coast, but man, did it make the simpler life in Kansas so much more enjoyable afterwards. Perspective is everything. I love being from Kansas and from flyover country. Best sunsets in this country and all four seasons to boot." "I'm from Alaska, and I'm proud. I always call myself an Alaskan over an American. My life is so different from anyone I've ever met from the Lower 48." "Sometimes when I watch TV or scroll social media, I analyze what people's life is like in the States, and I get scared at how disconnected people are from the land. I don't know how to explain it, but every morning I wake up (in the summer) and drive a jet boat to work. The rivers are so clean that I bathe and wash my hair in them. I am guaranteed to catch a fish any time I want one for dinner. I work in the field, so all summer I am in remote Alaska, completely separated from civilization, and it's so freeing."–Such-session-6687 "I'm from New Jersey. We get a bad rap, but it's good here. Close to NYC and Philly, and featuring such diverse biomes, including mountains, marshland, the Pine Barrens, beaches, cities, suburbs, and farmland. All four seasons. Plus Wawa and not having to pump your own gas, Jersey club, bagels, pizza…" "I'm proud of being Californian insofar as this is the place where the late 1960s countercultural movement exploded. That is far from simply an American zeitgeist; it rapidly and majorly influenced the entirety of global civilization." –niftystopwat "I am very proud to be from North Carolina. Mountains, Piedmont, and the most awesome coastline in the country. College basketball at its finest. Middle-of-the-road politics. Small towns or big cities. We have them both. Decent secondary education. Great business environment in Charlotte, Raleigh, Wilmington, and the Triad. There's something here for everyone. Perfect? No. But fewer cons than most states. I can't imagine another place to call home." "Born, raised, and live in Oregon. Lived in other parts of the country, and it only made me love Oregon more. It's got the coast, mountains, forests, and deserts. The average state park is more beautiful than anything in most states. People are nice, and the government tries to do the right thing." –winkler456 "Illinois has its problems, but it's also very diverse ethnically with the Chicagoland area and lots of professional and personal opportunities, some nice parks and recreation, and affordable living outside of Chicago. It's also the most average state in the union, meaning there's a little something for everyone." "I'm very proud of being from Connecticut, as I've grown used to all four seasons. I'm also proud of many policies the state government implements, and of Connecticut's inclusivity to all people. Also, in CT, you're never far from whatever you're looking for, as New York is a day trip for half the state, and Boston is a day trip for the other half of the state. If you want a beach day, the shoreline is nice, and we have many lakes and ponds. Hiking is always fun in the Litchfield hills, and there are so many great restaurants with all different kinds of cuisines. Pizza here is spectacular, and New Haven style is the correct style, NOT NEW YORK STYLE PIZZA!!!" "I'm Native American and I'm from Minnesota, so yes, I am proud because that is where my ancestors are from. I feel very connected to it. It's also very beautiful, especially Lake Superior." –Silverraincoat "I am from the great state of Maine. The state that is closest to Africa. The first of the states to see the sun each day. Played a pivotal role at Gettysburg on Little Round Top. Northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. The best lobster rolls and maple syrup you can find. Need I say more? I think not. Remember the Maine!!" "I'm a little proud of living in Michigan because of the lakes, I suppose. It's pretty cool, and I don't take it for granted. I feel more lucky than anything that I live in a Democrat run state, though, and am very, very ashamed we have some of the most unhinged MAGA here. It's gross." "New Yorker for life. While there are certainly a large number of us who are obnoxious af, we're tough as bawls and can generally take anything thrown at us." –CatSkritches "I'm from Kentucky, I'm very proud of that being my home state. Home of the KY Derby, moonshine, lots of small local businesses, horses, green grass, nice people." "I'm not proud of Georgia, but I am proud to say I lived in Atlanta for 14 years. Atlanta is a progressive, collaborative place that's changed and molded with time and culture. Not always at the rate I'd like in each category, but it's a fluid and dynamic town. The state as a whole? A bunch of MAGAs, like roaches for Raid. Can't deal." "I like Wisconsin. I guess I've been proud to be from here when I go elsewhere. Sometimes I think it must be nice to live in a non-swing state, though. At least in election years." "New Hampshire. I'm proud for many reasons – natural beauty, quality of life, education, history, as well as being a boring but very good place to be raised." And finally, "As a lifelong resident of Massachusetts, I take a lot of pride in where I'm from. This state is the literal birthplace of American democracy, from the Boston Tea Party to the Battles of Lexington and Concord. We're not just part of history — we are one of the states where our nation was founded." "Massachusetts is also a global leader in education, medicine, and science. We were among the first states to address affordable health insurance for all, we prioritize education for our children, and every town has free senior services for our elderly. But honestly, what makes me proudest is the culture: we've got grit, brains, and a distinct personality you won't find anywhere else. We're wicked smart, historically grounded, and funny in our own stubborn New England way."–lynnfomercial What do you think? Let me know in the comments!
