A video is going viral on Reddit of a spectacular F-35 fighter jet crash, when it plummets to the ground, exploding into a ball of fire. The clip, reportedly filmed at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska, provides rare footage of a military accident. Fortunately, it seems that the pilot ejected safely before the crash.
The incredible footage of the fighter jet crash is reportedly from Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. In the clip, the F-35 fighter jet falls vertically out of the sky, where it explodes on contact with the ground. Judging by the stationary aircraft in the video, it appears that the clip was filmed from the apron where aircraft refuel and park before taxiing to the runways.
Thankfully, the dramatic clip shows that the pilot ejected safely prior to the crash. He drifts safely to the ground just away from the fiery explosion. The parachute did its job. Further, Alaska’s News Source confirmed the pilot was uninjured. It also explained that the pilot was in the process of landing during a training exercise. The pilot had to eject due to an “inflight malfunction”, but he reportedly was following “standard procedures.”
Although the most important thing is obviously that the pilot is safe, a F-35 fighter jet crash is an unusual and expensive occurrence. Reddit quickly speculated about the cost, with one user exclaiming that’s “110 million dollars up in smoke.” Other Redditors suggested the cost of a F-35 jet is closer to $80 million. Either way, it’s obviously an extremely expensive bit of gear.
Some commenters worried that they only saw one parachute, questioning if the aircraft had two occupants. The Air Force Base confirmed that only one pilot was involved, however, and that he emerged safely from the incident. Apparently he’s in a “safe and stable condition.”
While relatively unusual occurrences, plane crashes unfortunately do occur, with the tragic South Korean air disaster still painfully fresh in our minds. It’s less common to see such clear footage of a military aircraft crashing, for obvious reasons. At least this dramatic incident at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska didn’t result in any casualties.
