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The pilot of a US F-35 jet ejected after his plane collided with the deck of the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier in the South China Sea, wounding seven people, according to a statement issued by the US Pacific Fleet on Monday.
When the incident occurred, the pilot was doing ordinary flying operations. According to Pacific Fleet, they successfully ejected and were rescued by a military helicopter. The pilot is in good health.
Six additional people were hurt on the carrier’s deck. According to Pacific Fleet, three people needed to be evacuated to a medical facility in Manila, Philippines, where they are in stable condition. The other three sailors were treated and discharged on the ship.
The reason for the “in-flight incident,” as described in the statement, is being investigated.
The accident is the first for an F-35C, the US Navy’s variant of the single-engine stealth fighter built for off-carrier missions.
The Air Force’s F-35A takes off and lands on normal runways, while the Marine Corps’ F-35B is a short-takeoff vertical landing aircraft that can operate off the Navy’s amphibious assault ships.
The F-35 is also used by the United States’ allies and partners, including Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom, Australia, Italy, Norway, the Netherlands, and Israel. More nations have placed orders for the jet.
According to Lockheed Martin, the US Navy model “includes more robust landing gear to handle carrier takeoffs and landings, folding wings to fit on a congested flight deck, bigger wings, a little higher cargo, and a somewhat longer operational range.”
The F-35C was the last of the three types to enter service, debuting in 2019.
When the Carl Vinson left San Diego in August, it was the first of the US Navy’s 11 aircraft carriers to deploy with the F-35C.
