US F-15 Fighter Jet Crashes in Kuwait, Pilot Safe
A US fighter jet, believed to be an F-15, crashed in Kuwaiti territory whilst the United States and Israel launched attacks against Iran. The F-15 fighter is believed to have been struck by fire from a Patriot missile system used by Kuwait, a US ally, as an air defence system.
The incident in which the F-15 fighter jet crashed, as reported by CNN and India Today on Monday 2 March 2026, was recorded in video that circulated widely on social media, with the incident estimated to have occurred on Monday 2 March local time, as fighting between the US-Israel coalition and Iran entered its third day.
Air strikes remain widespread across the Middle East region, with Tehran launching retaliatory strikes against US military bases in Gulf nations.
Video that circulated has been geolocation-tracked by CNN, with the fighter jet estimated to have crashed in Kuwait, specifically near a US airbase. CNN’s report states that based on the video circulated, the fighter jet crashed within 10 kilometres of the US base, Ali Al Salem, in Kuwait.
The video shows a burning fighter jet in the air, plummeting and spinning from the sky.
CNN’s analysis of the video identified the twin-engine fighter jet visible in the video as matching either the F-15E or F/A-18 type. CNN could not determine the ownership of the crashed fighter jet, though India Today reported the fighter jet was a US F-15.
The cause of the fighter jet’s crash is not clearly known. However, initial reports suggest the fighter jet may have been a victim of friendly fire, or mistaken targeting, after being struck by a Patriot air defence system in Kuwaiti territory.
To date, there has been no official statement from US Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees US military operations in the Middle East region. Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry has also not commented.
Local authorities, according to India Today, confirmed the fighter jet pilot successfully ejected and was safe before the aircraft struck land.
The pilot is confirmed safe, with several videos circulating online showing the pilot lying in a car boot, believed to have sustained minor injuries.
Kuwait’s Integrated Petroleum Industries Company (KIPIC) reported that debris from the fighter jet fell within the Mina Al Ahmadi oil refinery complex on Monday 2 March, injuring two of their workers. Emergency teams were deployed to the incident location following the incident.