Leaked video allegedly capturing the moment a United States Navy Lockheed Martin F-35C fifth-generation fighter jet crashed onto the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson has emerged online.
The video was first posted on Reddit on February 6, 2022, and claims to show the aircraft’s final moments, which took place on January 25, 2021, while the carrier was deployed in the South China Sea.
The video shows footage recorded by the Pilot’s Landing Aid Television (PLAT) camera and contains material filmed from two separate angles where both the approach and the aftermath of the crash is visible.
In the video, a Landing Signal Officer can be heard calling the pilot of the aircraft to add power and to “wave off”. Shortly afterwards, the jet strikes the deck and bursts into flames before sliding off into the ocean.
The video’s authenticity has not been officially confirmed. Nevertheless, it contains many similarities with a previously leaked video, which showed the approach before the crash, and was confirmed to be genuine by the US Navy.
According to USN, seven sailors were injured in the incident. The pilot managed to eject in time, but this is not seen in the video.
