An F-35 fighter jet crashed at Naval Air Station (NAS) Lemoore in central California on Wednesday, the US Navy confirmed.
According to an official statement from the airbase, the pilot of the aircraft ejected successfully and did not suffer any injuries. “The pilot successfully ejected and is safe. There are no additional-affected personnel,” NAS Lemoore said.
The incident occurred at approximately 4:30 pm local time. “An F-35C attached to the VFA-125 'Rough Raiders' went down not far from NAS Lemoore,” the statement added.
Visuals from the scene showed a plume of smoke rising near the crash site. The Navy has not yet disclosed the extent of the damage or any impact on base operations.
Naval Air Station Lemoore is located around 64 kilometres southwest of the city of Fresno in central California, as reported by CNN. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
The stealth fighter, one of the world’s most advanced and costs around $115 million.
