A US Navy pilot ejected safely from a $100 million F-35C Lightning II stealth fighter jet before it crashed into a cotton field in Fresno County, California, on Wednesday evening. Officials reported receiving a call about a military jet engulfed in flames at around 6:40 p.m. local time.
The wreckage was located about 40 miles north of Fresno, near the Lemoore Naval Air Station. The pilot, attached to the VFA-125 'Rough Raiders' squadron, was found with a parachute in a nearby field and was airlifted to hospital. He is expected to recover.
Fresno County Supervisor Buddy Mendes, who owns the field where the jet crashed, told ABC News that his son alerted him to the incident. Firefighters used a bulldozer to reach the aircraft and extinguish the blaze.
The F-35C is a carrier-based variant of the Lockheed Martin fighter, described as 'the most lethal, survivable, and connected fighter aircraft.' This is the second F-35 crash this year, following an incident in Alaska in January. A military investigation is underway to determine the cause.
Lockheed Martin stated it is aware of the incident and standing by to support the US Navy. The F-35 fleet has faced scrutiny over maintenance and readiness issues, with a January 2025 Pentagon report noting that variants 'continue to fall short of Service expectations' for reliability and availability.
