A U.S. pilot ejected from a fighter jet after a bizarre slow-moving crash in Texas on Thursday, video shows.
The aircraft, an F-35B, descended toward the ground at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth. The landing gear touched the ground, then bounced back into the air before the aircraft crashed nose-first and entered a spin, which appeared driven by the system that provides its vertical thrust.
The pilot, who officials have not publicly identified, then ejected into the air for a seven-second descent to the ground. The pilot was taken to a hospital as a precaution, with no initial reports of serious injuries, said Matthew Montgomery, a spokesperson for the Defense Department’s Contract Management Agency said late Thursday.
Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder, a Pentagon spokesman, said the jet is owned by Lockheed Martin but flown by a “U.S. government pilot,” without specifying whether the individual is military or civilian personnel.
Lockheed Martin said in a statement that the company is aware of the crash and that the pilot “ejected successfully.”
“Safety is our priority, and we will follow appropriate investigation protocol,” Lockheed Martin said.
It is also unclear how the crash occurred. Other videos of similar aircraft show small bounces that occur once their landing gear hits the ground, though those are absorbed by shock struts. In the incident Thursday, the aircraft bounced as if it were landing on the moon.
The F-35B is the Marine Corps variant of the advanced fighter jet capable of short takeoff and vertical landing. That capability helps aircraft fly in and out of places where space is limited, such as assault ships.
Candateshia Pafford, a spokesperson for the naval air station, said Lockheed is a tenant there and shares a runway. The company builds the jet in a neighboring facility, according to NBC DFW.
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article
arcive
I always thought runway ejections were going to be really bad news for the pilot but the article says no report of serious injuries.
The aircraft, an F-35B, descended toward the ground at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth. The landing gear touched the ground, then bounced back into the air before the aircraft crashed nose-first and entered a spin, which appeared driven by the system that provides its vertical thrust.
The pilot, who officials have not publicly identified, then ejected into the air for a seven-second descent to the ground. The pilot was taken to a hospital as a precaution, with no initial reports of serious injuries, said Matthew Montgomery, a spokesperson for the Defense Department’s Contract Management Agency said late Thursday.
Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder, a Pentagon spokesman, said the jet is owned by Lockheed Martin but flown by a “U.S. government pilot,” without specifying whether the individual is military or civilian personnel.
Lockheed Martin said in a statement that the company is aware of the crash and that the pilot “ejected successfully.”
“Safety is our priority, and we will follow appropriate investigation protocol,” Lockheed Martin said.
It is also unclear how the crash occurred. Other videos of similar aircraft show small bounces that occur once their landing gear hits the ground, though those are absorbed by shock struts. In the incident Thursday, the aircraft bounced as if it were landing on the moon.
The F-35B is the Marine Corps variant of the advanced fighter jet capable of short takeoff and vertical landing. That capability helps aircraft fly in and out of places where space is limited, such as assault ships.
Candateshia Pafford, a spokesperson for the naval air station, said Lockheed is a tenant there and shares a runway. The company builds the jet in a neighboring facility, according to NBC DFW.
--- Article end ---
article
arcive
I always thought runway ejections were going to be really bad news for the pilot but the article says no report of serious injuries.
