The pilot of a US Navy F-35 fighter jet ejected safely before the jet crashed in central California Wednesday near Naval Air Station Lemoore, according to a Navy press statement.
The crash occurred around 6:30pm (GMT -8). The cause of the crash is still under investigation according to the statement.
Video from site of accident showed fire and thick black smoke rising from the crash site in flat, open farmland near the air station, around 40 miles (64 kilometres) southwest of the city of Fresno in central California, reports CNN.
A pilot was helped by a local EMS crew was at the scene, and Cal Fire also responded, a Fresno County sheriff’s Office statement said.
The aircraft was assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron VF-125, known as the “Rough Raiders,” the Navy said. VF-125 is a Fleet Replacement Squadron, responsible for training pilots and aircrew.
The crashed jet was an F-35C, one of three variants of the F-35 Lightning II, designed for use on US aircraft carriers. The US Air Force flies the F-35A while the Marine Corps flies the F-35B, a short takeoff, vertical landing jet.
This is the second F-35 aircraft to crash this year; earlier in January, and US Air Force F-35A crashed at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska during a training mission, and the pilot also ejected safely.
The jet is priced at around $100 million is a fifth-generation fighter jet and one of the world’s most advanced warplanes. It is manufactured by Lockheed Martin. According to the company, more than 17 countries are part of the F-35 program worldwide, and is lauded for its advanced stealth and combat capabilities.
However, recently the jet has faced criticism over maintenance and readiness issues.