The dramatic moment a pilot ejected from a F-35B fighter jet at a Naval Reserve base in Fort Worth, Texas, Thursday morning was captured on video.
A cell phone video shows a Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II jet approaching the runway at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth. It appears that the plane is attempting a vertical landing, like a helicopter would, before bouncing slightly and nosediving.
Smoke pours from the nose of the plane as the plane continues to spin, righting itself as the pilot safely ejects. The pilot then lands on the ground in the video.
According to a statement shared on Facebook, officers from the White Settlement Police Department responded to the crash around 10:15 am local time. In order to allow the Defense Department and Lockheed Martin to investigate the crash site, some traffic closures were set in the area.
The Lockheed Martin compnay said in a statement to CBS News Thursday that it was “aware” of the crash and that the pilot ejected successfully. An investigation will follow to gather additional information.
There was an investigation launched earlier this year into the military’s F-35 fleet over a possible defect in the jet’s ejection seat. The F-35 Lightning IIs were grounded during the investigation, but were returned to service in August.
This isn’t the first instance of a pilot ejecting from their aircraft in recent months. An F-35 fighter jet crashed in Utah in October, but the pilot escaped without serious injuries.