Footage has been revealed of the aftermath of an Air Force fighter plane that crashed into the ground in New Mexico before bursting into flames.
Tuesday afternoon, first responders rushed to the crash site just south of Albuquerque International Sunport.
Lockheed Martin, the prime contractor for the specific plane that crashed, confirmed that the plane was an F-35B fighter jet.
The pilot, who is currently recovering in hospital and in stable condition, managed to eject just seconds before the plane hit the ground. He was found outside the crash site – still conscious but seriously injured – and rushed to the University of New Mexico Hospital.
He was headed from Forth Worth, Texas, to Edwards Air Force Base, California, after stopping at Kirtland Air Force Base for refueling. He crashed just before 2 p.m.
An F-35 fighter jet nearly crashed Tuesday afternoon at Albuquerque International Sunport in New Mexico, sending up a large plume of smoke and injuring the pilot
Emergency responders respond to a military aircraft crash near Albuquerque International Airport on Tuesday, May 28, 2024
The aircraft involved in the crash was an F-35 fighter jet, similar to the one pictured here
Albuquerque Fire Rescue (AFR) and Bernalillo County firefighters attempted to extinguish the fire, but they called in reinforcements from Kirtland Air Force Base to completely extinguish the blaze.
“We carry 500 gallons of water on our apparatus and small foam tanks, but it’s no match for a jet fuel fire of that magnitude,” AFR Lt. Jason Fejer told the local NBC affiliate. KOB.
While first responders were able to get the fire under control within a few hours, clearing the crash site is a longer process that will take days.
The pilot was the only person on the plane and no one was killed.
While the reason behind the crash is still under investigation, KOB reports that a malfunction occurred minutes after the plane first took off.
There were several witnesses to the crash, who told KOB they were shocked by the incident.
Hunter James Ryer was waiting for his flight to take off at the Sunport when he saw a plume of smoke and flames in the distance.
“I can’t really believe I just witnessed a crash while I was on a plane,” Ryer told KOB.
He said he knew it was a plane crash when he saw several emergency vehicles arrive on the scene, followed by an announcement from the pilot that the tarmac would be closed.
“Everyone got really quiet,” Ryer said, as passengers took turns looking out the window to watch the incident unfold.
The military jet crashed after the pilot stopped for refueling at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico, manufacturer Lockheed Martin said.
Albuquerque Fire Rescue (AFR) and Bernalillo County firefighters attempted to extinguish the fire, but they called in reinforcements from Kirtland Air Force Base to completely extinguish the fire.
Alan Diehl, a former aviation and safety expert for the National Transportation Safety Board, the Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S. Air Force, said the F-35B is the world’s most advanced aircraft.
“This is the most important front-line fighter of not only America, but our allies around the world, so there’s obviously going to be a lot of interest in this accident,” he said.
These new models, which can take off and land vertically like a helicopter, have been in service with the US Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps for less than a decade.
A fleet of these aircraft is intended to replace older jet models, including the F16 and A10.
‘These are stealth aircraft. They are supposedly very invisible to radar,” Diehl said.
While the $135 million F-35s are still being tested and modified, Diehl said they have a good safety record.
“The newer airplanes tend to have a higher accident rate than airplanes that have been around for a while, and as they get older, accidents start to increase for mechanical reasons, but know that the 35 is a safe airplane,” he said.
Of all the accidents he has investigated in his career, 50 to 80 percent were the result of human error.
The plane had left Fort Worth, Texas and was headed to Edwards Air Force Base near Los Angeles when it crashed into a hill on the south side of the airport.
Alan Diehl, a former aviation and safety expert, said the Naval Safety Center will treat the crash “like a crime scene.”
Diehl said the Naval Safety Center will treat the crash “as a crime scene, photographing everything and painstakingly taking apart the components to eliminate any mechanical problems.”
He said he believes the investigation into the plane will take a few months, with a preliminary report expected within 30 days.
The pilot’s identity has not been released.
