The footage below shows the moment when a £100m F-35 Lightning jet crashed into the sea after it appeared to lose power during take off.
In the short clip, the F-35 can be seen to power up before making its way along HMS Queen Elizabeth’s flight deck as it makes its way towards the ramp.
But only yards before reaching the end of the flight deck, the fighter appears to lose power.
The pilot appears to try and slow the jet down to a stop before reaching the end of the ramp, but the momentum of the aircraft is enough to send it over the edge.
With a split second to spare, the pilot manages to eject from the F-35 before it sinks to the bottom of the sea.
Reports are that the pilot’s parachute got snagged on the ship’s superstructure, preventing him from ditching into the sea.
Had the pilot entered the water, there is a good chance that he would have been sucked beneath the vast hull of the massive ship.
Thankfully, the pilot was not seriously hurt. A salvage operation is underway to retrieve the jet and its top-secret technology.
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