Video captures moment pilot ejects from fighter jet in Texas crash landing
Dramatic video captured the moment a pilot ejected from an F-35B fighter jet during a failed landing at a Naval Reserve base in Fort Worth, Texas, Thursday morning.
Cell phone video showed the Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II jet coming into the runway at the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth. The plane appears to be attempting a vertical landing, like a helicopter would, and touches the runway before the plane bounces slightly, and nosedives forward.
The plane continues to spin, then rightens itself as the pilot safely ejects, and smoke pours from the nose of the plane. The video then shows the pilot landing on the ground.
In a statement shared on Facebook, the White Settlement Police Department said that officers responded to the crash at around 10:15 a.m. local time. The crash was confined to military property, and some traffic closures were set in the area to allow the Department of Defense and Lockheed Martin to investigate the crash site.
The pilot was unhurt, according to CBS DFW. In a statement to CBS News Thursday, Lockheed Martin said it was "aware" of the crash and "that the pilot ejected successfully." The company added that it would "follow appropriate investigation protocol."
Earlier this year, an investigation was launched into the military's F-35 fleet over a possible defective part in the jet's ejection seat. All F-35 Lightning II's were grounded during the investigation, but were returned to service in August, according to Stars and Stripes newspaper.
In October, a pilot escaped without serious injuries after an F-35 fighter jet crashed at an Air Force base in Utah.