More On: USS Carl Vinson
A leaked video shows a Navy fighter plane collapsing on the USS Carl Vinson
Last month, a fighter plane crashed into the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson before crashing into the South China Sea, as seen in a leaked video.
After ejecting from the F-35C Lightning II, which was spotted floating in the ocean without its canopy, the pilot was retrieved. The incident on January 24 injured seven sailors.
“The ship has assessed that the video and photo covered in the media … were taken on board USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) during the crash,” US Navy 7th Fleet spokesperson Cmdr. Hayley Sims told Military.com in an email.
The film was obtained from the Pilot's Landing Aid Television, or PLAT, camera as well as from the ship's so-called "island," which served as the command center for flight-deck operations.
The leaked video has been shared on Reddit, Telegram, Instagram and other social media sites, according to Business Insider.
The F-35C is seen banking as it descends quickly into the carrier, which was in the middle of a turn at the time of the jet's approach.
The landing signal officer, or LSO, cries "Power!" to the pilot, instructing him to boost power, abort the landing, and fly around — but the fighter aircraft seems to touch the deck, bounce violently, and slide before exploding in flames.
The plane plummets into the water as the pilot ejects, and rescue services scramble to put out flames started by burning bits of the plane.
The event was first characterized as a "landing accident" that happened when the Carl Vinson was "performing regular air operations in the South China Sea."
The pilot, who was rescued by helicopter, was in stable condition, according to the agency.
According to authorities, three of the seven wounded sailors were transported to a hospital in Manila, the Philippines, and were reported in stable condition. According to them, the other four were treated on board the ship.
The Navy said the accident remains under investigation. Officials were working to salvage the Lockheed Martin-made F-35, estimated to cost around $94 million.
“We are taking appropriate planning actions to salvage our aircraft and recover in a timely manner as we have done in the past,” a Navy spokesman said last week, according to Task and Purpose.
The USS Carl Vinson is part of a carrier strike group that has been conducting naval maneuvers with the USS Abraham Lincoln in the South China Sea amid tight ties between China and Taiwan.
