Dramatic moment $100M F-35 stealth fighter jet crashes and bursts into flames... - USMC F-35 stealth fighter jet fell out of the sky.mp4 ...

....after hitting a tanker in mid-air refueling accident

more at
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...r-mid-air.html

*Witnesses captured the moment an F-35B stealth fighter jet smashed into the
ground on a remote field on Tuesday

*The aircraft crashed in Imperial County, California after colliding with a
KC-130J

*Collision occurred while the F-35B was being refueled by the tanker mid air

*Pilot managed to escape and parachute to safety - he is being treated for
injuries

*KC-130 ended up making an emergency landing in a field near Thermal, California

*All eight crew members aboard the tanker survived and were unharmed

Video footage has emerged showing the moment a F-35 stealth fighter jet fell out
of the sky and exploded on the ground after hitting a tanker in a mid-air
collision.

The US Marine Corps aircraft crashed near the Salton Sea in Imperial County,
California on Tuesday afternoon after accidentally clipping a KC-130J during a
refueling operation.

A video clip posted on Aviation Daily shows the $100million combat jet exploding
into a massive fireball upon impact shortly after the pilot managed to parachute
to safety.

The aircraft is seen rapidly plummeting hundreds of feet before smashing into a
ball of flames in a remote field.

A witness who took the video can be heard in the background saying: 'Oh my God!
You guys!' as she diverts her friends' attention to the sky.

The group was far enough to be safe from the impact, but still managed to get a
clear view of the explosion.

The USMC on Tuesday confirmed the pilot survived after ejecting safely and was
being treated for his injuries.

Meanwhile, the tanker was able to make a safe emergency landing at a nearby
field by Thermal Airport. All eight crew members escaped unharmed.

Earlier, alarming audio revealed how the KC-130J crew reported having 'two
engines out... we're leaking fuel, and likely on fire.'

The tanker declared a mid-air emergency to LA flight controllers who asked them
to confirm that they were 'going down now' after a refueling operation went
wrong.

The audio recording posted on LiveATC reveals how the tanker, flying with the
callsign RAIDER 50, raised the alarm with the Los Angeles Air Route Traffic
Control Center in Palmdale, California.

'LA Center, LA Center, RAIDER 50 declaring an emergency, midair collision with
VOLT 93,' the transmission said.

'We have two engines out, we're leaking fuel, and likely on fire, and in
emergency descent at this time. RAIDER 50.'

Responding to the emergency, a controller asked the crew to confirm their
military operations area, adding: 'You said you were going down now?'.

The RAIDER crew replied: 'We declare an emergency. We still have partial control
of the aircraft. Two engines out. We are aiming towards, uh' - before the
transmission from the the tanker cuts out.

The LA controllers then try to make contact again, while another voice reports a
'plume of black smoke' from the time that the emergency was reported.

Another person says that the impact was 'prior to his last transmission',
suggesting the smoke was not from the moment the tanker hit a field.

LA Center then appears to re-establish contact with the RAIDER before the tanker
comes to ground, although its crew could not be heard before the recording cut
out.

The US Marine Corps confirmed the collision occurred during a refueling
operation, during which a tanker transfers fuel to a receiver mid air, allowing
it to remain airborne for a longer period of time.

At around 4pm local time, 'an F-35B made contact with a KC-130J during an
air-to-air refueling evolution, resulting in the crash of the F-35B. The pilot
of the F-35B ejected successfully and is currently being treated,' The USMC said
in a statement.

'The KC-130J is on deck in the vicinity of Thermal Airport. All crew members of
the KC-130J have been reported safe. The official cause of the crash is
currently under investigation.'

Details on the pilot's condition and the extent of his injuries were not
immediately released.

Eye witnesses took to Twitter to report seeing the pilot parachuting out of the
fighter jet before hitting the ground.

One user described the F-35 fighter aircraft as being 'fully engulfed' in flames
by the time it impacted the ground.

First responders on the ground also reported that the jet 'disintegrated' after
bursting into flames.

A Blackhawk helicopter was deployed to the scene in search of survivors,
according to reports.

Meanwhile, the KC-130, used to transport military equipment including
helicopters, landed safely in a field near the Jacqueline Cochran Regional
Airport in Thermal, California.

Both aircraft were stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego,
an official said.

Imperial County is located about two hours drive east of San Diego.

The family of Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II stealth multirole combat jets,
one oft the most expensive in the world, have been plagued with issues and have
suffered multiple crashes over the years.

Most recently in May, an Air Force F-35A belonging to the 58th Fighter Squadron
crashed while landing at the Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. The pilot survived
after ejecting safely.

Almost exactly two years ago on September 28, 2018, an F-35B crashed outside the
Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina. The pilot, again, managed to
eject safely.

The cause of the accident was determined to be from a faulty fuel tube,
prompting officials to ground all F-35s to inspect the fleet on October 11.
They were returned to flight status the following day.

In April 2019, a Japanese F-35A from the Misawa air base crashed off the coast
of Japan during a training operation.

The pilot, Major Akinori Hosomi, had disappeared during the mission and was
later found to had crashed in the Pacific Ocean.

The F-35s were first introduced to the US Military in 2015, with the first F-35B
entering the US Marine Corp in July that year.

The aircraft has three different variants, including the F-35A, used by the US
Air Force, that uses conventional takeoff and landing, the F-35B, which has a
short take-off and vertical landing, and the F-35C, used by the US Navy, that is
designed for catalpult-assisted takeoff.



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