Pilot Ejects from F-35B Fighter After Hard Landing

A video of the incident showed the short takeoff and vertical landing (STO/VL) variant fighter coming down for a landing, bouncing then tipping over on its nose and skidding around on its wing before the pilot ejected into the clear.

Details of the pilot's condition were not immediately released, according to local media reports. NAS JRB Fort Worth did not immediately respond to a request for  comment.

The Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) F-35B Lightning II STO/VL variant is flown by the U.S. Marine Corps and is used for expeditionary and remote flight operations.

The incident occurred shortly before 10:15 a.m. CST, according to the White Settlement Police Department. The police department said it responded to the scene at that time after receiving a request for assistance from defense officials and Lockheed Martin.

"The crash is confined to military property near the flight line. We assisted with traffic closures in the immediate area to allow DOD/Military/Lockheed to focus on their tasks and investigation," the police agency said in a statement. "We will defer questions surrounding what exactly happened to Lockheed’s team."

Lockheed Martin, which shares a runway with the base, issued a statement following the incident, according to KDFW. "We are aware of the F-35B crash on the shared runway at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base in Fort Worth and understand that the pilot ejected successfully," the company said. "Safety is our priority, and we will follow appropriate investigation protocol.’’