F‑35B fighter jet crashes in Albuquerque; pilot ejects safely
The military aircraft F-35B crashed on the runway of the international airport in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The fighter jet crash occurred on Tuesday. The pilot managed to eject before the aircraft went down. The first videos and photos from the scene have appeared online.
According to the authorities, on Tuesday, a military aircraft, an F-35 B, crashed on the runway of the international airport in Albuquerque, New Mexico. According to the fire rescue team in Albuquerque, the incident occurred on the southern runway. The plane hit the ground and burst into flames.
The military pilot managed to exit the aircraft before it crashed. The man was taken to a nearby hospital with severe injuries. Two civilians were also injured in the incident; however, they did not require hospitalization.
The military aircraft crashed after refueling
According to information provided by a Pentagon official, the aircraft that crashed was a new F-35B model belonging to the United States Marine Corps. The plane flew from Fort Worth, Texas, to the Edwards Air Force Base in California and crashed after refuelling at the Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico.
The first videos and photos capturing the dramatic scenes have appeared online.
A similar incident occurred in September of last year. At that time, a fighter jet, F-35, crashed near a military base close to Charleston in South Carolina. The pilot also managed to eject before the aircraft hit the ground. Following the accident, the US military asked citizens for help locating the wreckage.