--- title: "Watch a US Fighter Jet Smash Into the Ground in a Huge Fireball" description: "A new video shows a Marine Corps F-35B fighter jet crashing into the ground in a massive ball of flame after colliding with a tanker aircraft." date: "2020-09-30" modified: "2020-09-30" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/us-fighter-jet-smash-ground-huge-fireball" categories: - "Robots and Machines" tags: - "fighter jet" - "marines" - "the digest" - "US military" --- # Watch a US Fighter Jet Smash Into the Ground in a Huge Fireball ![A new video shows a Marine Corps F-35B fighter jet crashing into the ground in a massive ball of flame after colliding with a tanker aircraft.]() *\Image: KVIA\* ## A Potential Disaster A new video shows a Marine Corps F-35B fighter jet smashing into the ground in a massive ball of flame after colliding with a tanker aircraft, [*The Drive* reports](). The crash occurred over southern California yesterday. https://twitter.com/vladwlad777/status/1311349515300024321 ## Mild Injuries The fighter jet pilot was able to eject, fortunately. And the entire eight-person crew of the tanker was also able to walk away from the collision following an emergency landing. https://youtu.be/WDVlz50d0mk "There are some mild injuries that are being treated, but they are all safe," Brett Vannier, spokesman for Marine Corps Air Station Yuma in Arizona, [told *Military.com*](). It was an expensive crash. A single F-35B costs the military [north of $120 million]() and about [$44,000 an hour]() to fly. The collision took place during a training hosted by the Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One at Yuma. The exact cause of the event is still under investigation. ## Saving Lives The manufacturer of the ejector seat, Martin-Baker, highlighted in a tweet that their system has so far saved 7,633 lives. https://twitter.com/MB_EjectEject/status/1311305146366910466 The event could've ended tragically. In 2018, a F/A-18D Hornet pilot [collided with a tanker]() during a nighttime mission over Japan. Six Marines died as a result and four military leaders were fired after an investigation. **READ MORE:** [Video Emerges Of Marine F-35B Crashing In A Ball Of Fire After Colliding With A KC-130J]() \[*The Drive*\] **More on fighter jets:** *[AI Fighter Jet Obliterates Human Air Force Pilot in Simulated Dogfight]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()