A leaked video captured the final moments of the most expensive U.S. fighter jet, the "F-35," just moments before it crashed while attempting to land on the deck of an aircraft carrier in the South China Sea. The video shows the last moments of the American fighter jet as it approaches the USS Carl Vinson during its operations in the South China Sea earlier this week.
The video, which circulated on social media and was filmed from aboard the aircraft carrier during the crash, depicts the plane as it nears the ship when the screen fills with smoke, according to the British newspaper Daily Mail. A later image shows the fighter jet floating in the water after it fell, surrounded by murky water and debris, with the cockpit open.
The U.S. Navy confirmed the authenticity of the circulated video, as the United States raced against time to recover the $100 million fighter jet wreckage from the bottom of the South China Sea. U.S. Seventh Fleet spokesperson Lieutenant Nicholas Lingo stated that the video and image of the crash were genuine and that the incident is still under investigation.
It is noted that the pilot safely ejected from the aircraft but was among seven sailors who were injured in the incident; all are in stable condition, and the investigation into the incident is ongoing.
