DAVIS COUNTY, Utah — The airfield at Hill Air Force Base will shut down for the next 24 hours after a jet made an emergency belly landing Thursday afternoon.
Officials report an F-5AT jet belonging to a private military contractor, Tactical Air Support, was headed to the base for training when the incident happened.
The pilot made an emergency landing at the airfield, landing the aircraft on its belly with its landing gear up.
"An F-5AT fighter, belonging to Tactical Air Support, a private military contractor providing aggressor aircraft for 388th Fighter Wing Training, performed a gear up landing (or belly landing) at Hill Air Force Base after an in-flight emergency," a statement reads. "The landing was uneventful, and the pilot is safe."
As a precaution, the pilot, the only occupant on board, was taken to the hospital.
After the emergency landing, HAFB reported they would close the airfield for 24 hours in order to clean up any debris from the emergency landing that could compromise the runway.
"The Hill Air Force Base airfield will remain closed for a short period as we relocate the aircraft and assess the runway condition."
