UK fighter jet F-35 from the Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier crashed on Wednesday during a routine flying operation in the Mediterranean Sea, the pilot ejected safely, the Ministry of Defense said on Wednesday.
“A British F35 pilot from HMS Queen Elizabeth ejected during routine flying operations in the Mediterranean this morning. The pilot has been safely returned to the ship,” the ministry said on Twitter.
It added that a military investigation on the accident had begun, “so it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.”
The HMS Queen Elizabeth is carrying on deck eight F-35B Lightning II-fast jets, four Wildcat maritime attack helicopters, seven Merlin Mk2 anti-submarine and airborne early warning helicopters, and three Merlin Mk4 commando helicopters.
The carrier strike group is escorted by six Royal Navy ships, a Royal Navy submarine, a US Navy destroyer and a frigate from the Netherlands, as part of the fifth-generation ship´s maiden trip that began on May 22.
- Via Sputnik News Agency
- Follow EurAsian Times on Google News
