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F-35 fighter jet crashes in California, pilot ejects safely


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An F-35 fighter jet crashed near Naval Air Station Lemoore in central California, the U.S. Navy said.

"The pilot successfully ejected and is safe. There are no additional affected personnel," a statement from NAS Lemoore said on July 31.

No further details on the crash were provided. The cause of the crash is under investigation, the statement said.

U.S. defense contractor Lockheed Martin, the maker of F-35 fighter jets, said: "We are aware of the F-35 incident at Naval Air Station Lemoore. Safety is our priority, and we are standing by to support the United States Navy as needed."

Pilot is expected to be ok after jet crash

In a social media post, the Fresno County Sheriff's Office said it received a report at around 6:40 p.m. on July 30 that a military jet had crashed in a cotton field and was engulfed in flames.

Authorities located the pilot with a parachute in a field close to the crash site. He was then transported to a hospital for evaluation and was expected to be in good condition, the sheriff's office said.

In the evening, first responders extinguished the flames after bulldozing a path to the jet.

The military is now investigating the cause of the crash.

The aircraft was attached to the VFA-125 "Rough Raiders," the Navy said.

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What is an F-35?

The F-35 is considered the most advanced fighter jet in the world. The F-35A is the most common variant that is used by the U.S. Air Force.

There are three variants of the F-35: The F-35A, F-35B, and F-35C. The F-35C was the aircraft involved in the accident. According to an online database for F-35s from F-16.net, there have been 20 incidents involving F-35s from 2014 to 2024.

Contributed: Reuters

Michelle Del Rey is a trending news reporter at Paste BN. Contact her at mdelrey@usatoday.com.