ISTANBUL 

Five US sailors are facing charges for what the US Navy described as the “unauthorized release” of a video showing a F-35 fighter jet crashing on an aircraft carrier in the South China Sea.

An ensign, three chief petty officers and a senior chief petty officer “have been charged under Article 92 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice,” Zach Harrell, spokesperson for the US Naval Air Forces, told American news outlet ABC 10News.

Article 92 relates to disobeying a lawful order or regulation or dereliction of duty.

The investigation was launched after a 61-second video circulated online in early February showed an F-35C jet hitting the deck of the USS Carl Vinson and skidding off into the water.

A US Navy statement on Jan. 24 termed it a “landing mishap” and said seven soldiers were injured in the incident, while the pilot had managed to safely eject from the aircraft.

The wreckage of the multimillion-dollar F-35C Lightning II​​​​​​​ has not been recovered yet.

The Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group returned to its base in San Diego on Feb. 14 after an eight-month deployment.