A new video leaked onto social media this weekend shows the US Navy's F-35 fighter jet crashing as it tries to land on the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson. O January 24 accident in the South China Sea left seven soldiers injured, including the pilot who ejected from the aircraft.

Just as first photos of the plane at sea, the video was posted on an aviation forum on Reddit. The new images also come nearly 10 days after the first video of the accident leaked on social media. The images were recorded from a telephone, showing the video of the “plat cam” call and from another camera on the aircraft carrier, which was reproduced on a computer.

As the The Aviationist, it is possible to see the F-35C approaching with a high rate of descent. The person speaking in the video is the Landing Signal Officer (LSO) – a military man who assists the pilot in approaching the aircraft carrier – who gives the Power commands and starts shouting “Wave Off”, ordering the pilot to abort the landing. 

The fighter collides with the Carl Vinson with great force, catching fire, destroying the landing gear and throwing debris across the deck. The rear of the F-35 rises and the plane turns to the left, sliding sideways across the ship, best seen from the second angle shown in the video. 

F-35C ramp strike on the USS Carl Vinson pic.twitter.com/dadOzzIvgO

- OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) February 6, 2022

The pilot ejects with the aircraft already on its side, while the fighter slides in flames along the length of the runway until it falls into the waters of the China Sea. Sailors rush on deck to respond to the emergency and contain the damage from the accident.

In addition to the pilot, six sailors who were on the aircraft carrier were injured, but despite the seriousness, all are fine, informs the Navy.

The user u/N502DN, who published the video on Reddit, claims that he is not the author of the recordings and also does not say how he obtained the images. The US Navy has confirmed the authenticity of previously shared media, but has not commented on the new leaked videos.

The fighter belonged to the VFA-147 Argonauts squadron, the first to embark with the F-35C (airborne operations version) on an aircraft carrier on an operational voyage. Operating in the same area was the USS Abraham Lincoln, also with F-35C fighters from the Marine Corps' VMFA-314 Black Knights squadron.

Now, the Navy is racing against time to locate and rescue the fifth-generation aircraft that sank in the China Sea. The loss of the most technologically advanced aircraft by the US and more than 10 allied countries right on China's doorstep represents an enormous danger for Washington, and a great treasure for Beijing.