New Mexico, US

A US military F-35 fighter jet en route to Edwards Air Force Base in California crashed near Albuquerque International Airport in New Mexico on Tuesday (May 28) leaving the pilot with 'serious injuries'. 

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The video footage doing rounds on social media shows a large plume of smoke rising in the sky in a deserted location with several vehicles on the nearby road.

Bernalillo County Fire Rescue spokesperson William Harris reportedly said that the pilot ejected before the crash and was found conscious and breathing. Albuquerque Fire Rescue Lt. Jason Fejer said the pilot was "transported with serious injuries" in the incident that left the plane charred in the blaze as it crashed.  

Lockheed Martin, the aircraft's manufacturer, confirmed that the jet had departed from Fort Worth, Texas, earlier on Tuesday (May 28).

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AP, while quoting a spokesperson for Lockheed, said that the crash occurred after the pilot stopped for refuelling at Kirtland Air Force Base, located on Albuquerque’s southern edge.

Witness Patrick White, who was driving nearby, described the scene to the AP. He saw the jet flying low. Initially, it stirred up dust, however it later got out of sight. Later, he noticed “an enormous plume of black smoke." 

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Two civilians evacuated

Reports indicated that Bernalillo County firefighters quickly extinguished the fire at the crash site. Two civilians were evaluated on-site and neither required hospital treatment. 

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Kirtland Air Force Base, known for housing the 377th Air Base Wing and the Air Force Research Laboratory, along with the Federal Aviation Administration, are investigating the Tuesday (May 28) crash. The name of the pilot has not been released yet.

This incident is the second military jet crash in New Mexico within a month.

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In April this year, an F-16 Fighting Falcon crashed near Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico, with the pilot sustaining minor injuries after ejecting. 

An F-16 crash occurred on March 23, 2022, when an Oklahoma Air National Guard F-16 went down in western Louisiana, as per reports. The pilot successfully ejected and was unharmed in that incident. 

(With inputs from agencies)