F-35 Fighter Jet Crashes in California

A U.S. Navy F-35 fighter jet has crashed near Naval Air Station Lemoore in central California. Fortunately, there were no casualties, as the pilot ejected safely.

This information was confirmed in a press release by the U.S. Navy, according to CNN.

The statement said that around 6:30 p.m. local time on Wednesday (July 30), a U.S. Navy F-35 aircraft crashed near Naval Air Station Lemoore in central California. The pilot ejected and survived the crash.

An investigation into the cause of the crash is currently underway.

Video footage from CNN affiliate KFSN showed flames and thick black smoke rising from open farmland near the air station, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) southwest of Fresno, California.

A statement from the Fresno County Sheriff's Office said that a local EMS crew was at the scene to assist the pilot, and California’s fire services responded quickly as well.

The report added that the aircraft was assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron VFA-125, known as the "Rough Raiders." According to the Navy, VFA-125 is a Fleet Replacement Squadron that trains pilots and aircrew.

The crashed aircraft was an F-35C, one of three variants of the F-35 Lightning II, specifically designed for use on U.S. aircraft carriers. The aircraft is valued at around $100 million.

This marks the second crash of an F-35 in the U.S. this year. Previously in January, an F-35A belonging to the U.S. Air Force crashed during a training mission at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska. In that incident as well, the pilot safely ejected.