An air force pilot has miraculously survived after his fighter jet crashed in a huge fireball.
The Northrop F-5 plane encountered a technical problem in the sky before plunging to the ground below.
The jet exploded in a huge fireball as thick black smoke billowed into the air.
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The Brazilian Air Force (FAB) said the fighter pilot managed to eject before the plane exploded.
The plane crashed during an FAB training exercise.
It blew up in the municipality of Parnamirim near Natal City in north-eastern Brazil yesterday (22 Oct) afternoon.
The pilot managed to avoid built-up areas and crash-landed in woodland near several condominiums.
One local resident said: “I was working in a condominium near the crash site when I noticed fire coming from the plane in mid-air.
“It flew towards a wooded area and then crashed.
“A cloud of smoke rose into the sky.”
The explosion started a fire in the woods that needed to be contained by the local fire brigade.
A fire department spokesperson said: “We sent two teams to prevent the blaze from spreading to other nearby areas.”
The pilot was transferred to the Hospital Monsenhor Walfredo Gurgel in Natal where he underwent a CT scan and tests before being released.
He reportedly suffered a dislocated shoulder after ejecting from the faulty fighter jet.
The accident occurred as the FAB prepared for the Cruzeiro do Sul Exercise (CRUZEX), which will take place between 3 and 15 November at the Natal Air Force Base.
This year’s exercise will bring together 16 countries, over 2,000 military personnel, and around 100 aircraft, as reported by Need To Know.
According to the CRUZEX website, the training will include “various types of missions, including ground attack, air superiority, escorting, and in-flight refueling”.
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