A jet fighter aircraft crashed at a Texas U.S. Navy base on Thursday.
The aircraft, a Lockheed F-35B Lightning II, carried out a botched vertical landing that was caught on camera.
The jet’s pilot used its ejection mechanism as the fighter skidded wildly against the airfield runway.
Doug Dunbar of KTVT-TV obtained video footage of the crash at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth.
WARNING: The following video contains vulgar language that some viewers may find offensive.
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#Breaking New much clearer video, courtesy Kitt Wilder, of STOL variant F35 B model landing JRB Fort Worth, and pilot ejects. Condition of pilot still unknown. @CBSDFW pic.twitter.com/BeERIeyhtO
— Doug Dunbar (@cbs11doug) December 15, 2022
The condition of the pilot after the aviation mishap wasn’t immediately clear as of Thursday evening.
The police chief of nearby White Settlement, Texas, recounted responding to the scene of the crash and condoning off an area adjacent to the military base from civilians, speaking in an interview with KDFW.
“When we arrived, we were pleased that we didn’t see a big plume of smoke, nothing like that, so we felt like, ‘OK, maybe the pilot, our thoughts and prayers with the pilot, maybe they’re going to be fine,’” police chief Chris Cook said of his agency’s response in an interview outside the base perimeter.
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Civilian firefighters also responded at the scene of the crash.
Lockheed Martin released a statement following the incident.
The defense contractor has an F-35B assembly located on the Naval Reserve base.
“We are aware of the F-35B crash on the shared runway at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base in Fort Worth and understand that the pilot ejected successfully,” Lockheed Martin said of the event, according to the Marine Corps Times.
“Safety is our priority, and we will follow appropriate investigation protocol.”
The aircraft in question was yet to be transferred from Lockheed Martin to the military, according to the Marine Corps Times.
It’s unclear if the pilot who ejected was a uniformed service member.
The F-35B Lightning II is designed for the aviation component of the Marine Corps, according to the Marine Corps Times.
The multirole jet fighter is intended to use VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) capabilities to fly to and from Navy aircraft carriers.
