In a video taken at the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth on Thursday, a pilot could be seen ejecting from a F-35B Lightning II fighter jet during a failed vertical landing, per NBCDFW.
As shown in the footage of the incident, the pilot was able to safely eject from the airplane after its landing gear touched the ground, and then bounced into the air. It then crashed into the ground nose-first, and entered a spin. Officials have not named the pilot, but they could be seen ejecting into the air followed by a brief descent. They were taken to a nearby hospital shortly after, but no serious injuries have been reported.
“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," said Locheed Martin, the manufacturers of the fighter jets, in a statement. "Safety is our priority, and we will follow appropriate investigation protocol."
According to a Pentagon spokesman, the aircraft was being flown by a U.S. government pilot, although it was yet to be transferred to the military by its manufacturer. "You never want to get that call that there is an aircraft down," said White Settlement Chief of Police Christopher Cook, who added authorities were called to the scene on Thursday to move onlookers from a road adjacent to the runway. "We have a very fond spot in our community for the military. White Settlement is a military community."
