Shocking moment $81m F-35 fighter plane spirals out of control & hits ground before bursting into fireball at air base DRAMATIC footage has captured the moment a F-35 fighter plane spiraled out of control and exploded into a fireball.
Paul Townsend, the commander of the 354th Fighter Wing at the US Air Force, said the pilot is safe.
The explosion could be seen behind one of the engines of another fighter jet.
The F-35 Lightning II jet, which can reach speeds of 1,200 mph, crashed at the Eielson Air Force Base during a training mission on Tuesday.
THE F-35 fighter plane is an integral part of the United States' security strategy.
