The pilot ejected from the Royal Air Force aircraft before it caught fire.
An old video that has been making headlines on social media shows a British fighter jet pilot exiting the plane before it completely caught fire. The incident took place in Afghanistan in May 2009, when a Royal Air Force (RAF) aircraft was landing at Kandahar airfield. The pilot tried to avert a major accident, but was forced to eject as flames reached the cockpit. The hair-raising video has triggered a debate among social media users, with some wondering why the pilot waited so long to get off the plane.
The 34-second clip posted on Reddit shows the nose of the plane falling as the fighter jet touches the ground. According to a BBC report from that time, it was a Harrier jet and the pilot suffered minor injuries.
Check out the video below:
It was part of a team of two aircraft that was on a mission in Afghanistan. Bombs and ammunition were also with them. According to The Aviation Geek Club, upon approaching the airport in Kandahar, the aircraft received a missile alert warning that an enemy surface-to-air missile system had been detected. Immediately, the aircraft issued flares to confuse the infrared-guided missiles and then landed.
However, the UK Defense Ministry said there was no suggestion that the incident was caused by enemy action.
The second plane’s “turn on final was very short and was 6,500 feet higher than normal”, the outlet added. This Harrier aircraft had a very high landing rate and was unable to land. During another attempt, the plane’s tail hit the ground while hitting the deck. The landing gear fell and the plane slid to 4,000 feet.
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The pilot, Flight Lieutenant Martin Pert, remained inside the cockpit until he instructed him not to crash into other aircraft awaiting take-off. By then the fire had reached the cockpit. He later came out of the plane with the help of a parachute, landing on the runway, which can be seen in the 34-second clip.
Reddit users were shocked to see the footage and posted a barrage of comments. “If anything, it’s a shock that he (pilot) stayed as long as he was. And tried to save his jet which is commendable. Also, by bringing it into the landing attempt, he gave the plane one shot.” Stopped from falling in an area where there would potentially be civilian casualties,” commented one user.
“Legend,” said another user.
The aircraft was badly damaged during the accident.
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