US media reported on Tuesday morning that an F-35 fighter jet had crashed while landing on a Carl Vinson aircraft carrier.
The F-35 Lightning strike crashed Monday evening while landing on the Vinson Shipwreck in the South China Sea, the US Navy Institute news website reported, quoting the US Navy.
The plane, which belongs to the "Carrier Air Wing 2" squadron, was conducting a normal flight operation in the South China Sea when the accident occurred. According to a statement from the Navy, the pilot of the plane was taken out before the accident (eject) and is in a stable condition.
Seven American sailors were also injured, three of whom were taken to a medical center in Manila, the capital of the Philippines. The three sailors are now in stable condition. Four other sailors were treated on the Vinson.
According to this news website, the manner of the accident, including its cause, is under investigation, and the US Navy did not provide further details about the condition of this fighter.
Earlier, the US Department of Defense announced that two aircraft carriers had entered the South China Sea with their submarines to carry out what they called "countering evil infiltration" as their mission.