US Marine Aircraft Group 11 single-seat F-35B fighter jet crashed before reaching the runway at the Marine Corps Air Station in California at around 10 am local time.
According to officials, the pilot saved his life by jumping from the plane with a parachute during an emergency. He suffered minor injuries and was taken to a nearby hospital as a precaution, where his condition is said to be stable.
Immediately after the accident, rescue and firefighting teams reached the scene and brought under control the fire in the wreckage of the plane as well as the fire that was burning in the surrounding dry grass.
The causes of the accident could not be revealed initially; however, the US military has started an investigation into the incident. It should be noted that the F-35B Lightning II is one of the most advanced stealth fighter jets in the world, which is capable of taking off from short runways and landing vertically.
The cost of this aircraft is estimated to be around 102 million US dollars. This 50-foot-long aircraft is used by the US Marine Corps as well as the armed forces of the United Kingdom and Italy.
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