US pilot ejects from fighter jet in weird crash on Texas runway

A U.S. pilot ejected and suffered no severe harm from an F-35 fighter jet in Texas on Thursday throughout a wierd, slow-motion crash that was captured in video broadly shared throughout social media. 

The F-35B, the Marine Corps’ model of the fifth-generation fighter jet, was slowly descending towards the runway at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Price when its touchdown gear appeared to bounce after it first touched down. The aircraft then crashed nose-first and commenced to spin, at which level the pilot ejected.  

Officers haven’t publicly recognized the pilot, who fell for just a few seconds. They had been taken to the hospital as a precautionary measure and subsequently launched with no severe accidents reported, in line with a press release from the Protection Division’s Contract Administration Company. 

Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder confirmed the crash Thursday, telling reporters that the F-35 is owned by the aircraft’s maker Lockheed Martin and “had not been transferred to the U.S. authorities but.”  

The firm assembles the fighter jet at a facility that shares the runway with the bottom. 

Ryder added that the fighter jet was being “operated by a U.S. authorities pilot” on the time of the crash however didn’t give additional particulars. 

Lockheed Martin, in the meantime, stated in a press release that the crash occurred because the pilot was ending an acceptance flight for supply of the plane to the U.S. army.  

The corporate is at the moment working with officers on the base and “are grateful that the pilot concerned is protected. Security stays our prime precedence, and we’re supporting the investigation,” in line with the assertion.  

It’s nonetheless unknown what brought about the crash of the F-35B, which may vertically land to be able to fly out and in of areas with restricted area, together with ships.