An F-22 Raptor fighter plane crashed in Florida on a training flight on Friday, the Air Force said, adding that the pilot may have ejected from the aircraft.
The stealth hunter, known for its enormous cost, is part of the 325th fighter squadron of the Eglin air base, in the northwest of the state, located about sixty kilometers east of Pensacola. It crashed around 9:15 a.m. local (1:15 p.m. GMT) northeast of the base in a training area, without causing any damage. The causes of the accident have not been released.
The pilot was able to eject before impact and was placed under observation at the base hospital where he is in stable condition, the army said.
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The F-22 Raptor, built by Lockheed Martin and Boeing, is considered to be the most advanced fighter in the world, but its performance has been clouded by several accidents and technical problems with hardly identifiable causes. It entered service in 2005 but its production was halted in 2011, in particular due to its staggering unit price (almost $ 360 million).
