Overview

• The jet, assigned to VFA-125 Rough Raiders, went down north of NAS Lemoore around 6:40 p.m., impacting a cotton field.
• The pilot ejected safely, was located nearby with his parachute, and is expected to recover without further harm.
• Firefighters used a bulldozer to clear access and extinguished a grass fire that had spread about 40 meters by 7:55 p.m.
• The U.S. Navy has launched a formal investigation to determine the cause of the mishap.
• Lockheed Martin confirmed awareness of the incident when contacted but has not provided technical details.