An Air Force pilot who was ejected from an F-35B jet after it crashed during a test flight in Texas has no serious injuries and has been released from the hospital.
The pilot is an airman who was performing quality checks on behalf of the Defense Contract Management Agency, Matthew Montgomery, an agency spokesman, told Marine Corps Times Friday.
Following the mishap, he had been transported to a hospital “for precautionary measures,” according to a statement from the Defense Contract Management Agency.
“Our people are our number one priority and we’re grateful no one was hurt,” the agency said in the statement.
An F-35B, the variant of the Lockheed Martin fighter jet that is designed for the Marine Corps, dropped vertically onto a runway at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth on Thursday.
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According to video footage posted to social media, the jet bounced upon impact, went nose down and spun around. Then the pilot ejected, shooting into the air as a parachute expanded.
Lockheed Martin said in a statement that it was supporting an investigation into the accident. The company has an assembly facility for its F-35 jets at the base.
“We are thankful the pilot involved is safe,” the company said in a statement. “Safety remains our top priority, and we are supporting the investigation.”
Lockheed Martin hadn’t yet transferred the jet to the U.S. military, according to Jacqueline Lorenzetti, a Lockheed spokeswoman.
Irene Loewenson is a staff reporter for Marine Corps Times. She joined Military Times as an editorial fellow in August 2022. She is a graduate of Williams College, where she was the editor-in-chief of the student newspaper.
