This is the heart-stopping moment a US fighter pilot ejects out of their $80million aircraft as a landing goes terrifyingly wrong.
The pilot of the F-35B Lightning II US stealth fighter was attempting a vertical landing at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth in Texas.
The jet’s nose hits the floor first causing the aircraft to spin 180 degrees and emit smoke at just after 10am local time on Friday.
Onlookers swore in disbelief as they saw the pilot eject at the last second.
An F-35B fighter jet crashed during a test flight at the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base in Fort Worth. The pilot ejected, but injuries are currently unknown.
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Local police chief Chris Cook said in a video shot by a local Fox affiliate.
“When we arrived, we were pleased that we didn’t see a big plume of smoke, nothing like that, so we felt like, ‘OK, thoughts and prayers with the pilot, maybe they’re going to be fine,’” Cook said in the video.
The crash occurred during a test flight, Fox 4 reported.
Lockheed Martin, jet producer and munitions contractor, acknowledged the crash in a statement.
The company said: “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.
“Safety is our priority and we will follow appropriate investigation protocol.”
It came a year after a British F-35 stealth jet plunged into the Mediterranean Sea during a routine flying operation.
The pilot managed to eject into the water and return to the HMS Queen Elizabeth, where they were based, after the crash
