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14h ago

US Navy F-35C Crashes Near NAS Lemoore, Pilot Ejects Safely

Investigators are examining the causes of the second F-35 crash this year after a brush fire sparked by the impact was contained.

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Overview

  • The pilot ejected safely with no injuries; local responders and CAL Fire contained a grass fire across about ten acres by 8:32 p.m.
  • The jet was on a routine training sortie with the VFA-125 Rough Raiders, the Navy’s F-35C Fleet Replacement Squadron, when it went down near the installation’s operations area.
  • This is the second F-35 crash in US service this year, following a January mishap involving an F-35A in Alaska.
  • Naval Air Station Lemoore serves as the Navy’s primary West Coast master strike fighter base, critical for carrier-capable pilot training.
  • The incident is the latest among several F-35 mishaps since September 2023 that have raised concerns about the fleet’s reliability and maintenance demands.