WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. Air Force F-22 fighter crashed on Thursday at Florida's Tyndall Air Force Base, but the pilot ejected safely and was unhurt, a base spokeswoman said.
The F-22 Raptor,
one of the most advanced U.S. warplanes, was returning from a routine
training mission when it crashed about 3:30 p.m., spokeswoman Ashley Wright said.
The Lockheed Martin Corp
plane caught fire when it hit the ground, but firefighters quickly put
out the blaze, she said. The cause is under investigation.
Nearby Highway 98
was closed for about two hours as a precaution. The pilot, who was not
identified, did not suffer any major injuries, Wright said.
The Air Force
stopped flying the F-22 for five months in 2011 after some pilots grew
dizzy at the controls. The Air Force blamed a shortage of oxygen
delivered to pilots.
Two F-22 pilots
told CBS' "60 Minutes" program this year they had stopped flying the
fighter because of worries about safety.
The Defense Department said in July the Air Force was starting actions to lift flight restrictions over time, with most long-duration flights to resume this past summer.
(Reporting by Ian Simpson; Editing by Peter Cooney)
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