Pilot ejects from F-35 fighter jet moments before it crashes and bursts into flames

Dramatic video shows the moment an F-35 fighter jet crashed during a training exercise at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska on Tuesday (29 January). The pilot is reported to be safe after deploying his parachute seconds before the jet smashed into tarmac.

The crash occurred during the landing phase following an ‘inflight malfunction’, Col. Paul Townsend, commander of the 354th Fighter Wing told a news conference, with the Air Force confirming the incident had caused ‘significant damage’ to the £66m aircraft.