A US Navy F-35 fighter fell in the central region of California on Wednesday (30), near Lemoore Naval Air Station, according to a Navy press.
The pilot safely ejected and the cause of the accident, which occurred around 6.30 pm local time, is under investigation, continued the statement.
Videos of the KFSN broadcaster, affiliate of CNN americanathey showed fire and thick smoke climbing the scene of the accident in flat and open agricultural lands near the air base, about 64 kilometers southwest of the city of Fresno in downtown California.
A local emergency medical team was on site helping the pilot, and the Fire Department also attended the incident, said the Fresno County Sheriff Office.
The aircraft was assigned to the VF-125 attacking hunting squad, known as “Rough Raiders,” said the Navy. The VF-125 is a fleet replacement squad responsible for pilot and crew training.
The rugged jet was an F-35C, one of the three variants of the United States aircraft carrier.
The US Air Force operates the F-35A, while the Marines body operates the F-35B, a short takeoff jet and vertical landing.
F-35 Model
The fall of the aircraft, valued at about $ 100 million, was the second of an F-35 this year.
An Air Force F-35A fell to Eielson Air Base in Alaska in January during a training mission. The pilot also safely ejected in that incident.
The F-35, a fifth-generation fighter and one of the world’s most advanced war planes, is one of the pillars of the American military fleet.
Made by Lockheed Martin, it is praised for its advanced skills of stealth and combat.
The Air Force has 246 F-35 fighters on its fleet, the Marine Corps has 122 and the Navy has 41, according to the world air forces database at Flightglobal.com.
Worldwide, more than 17 countries are part of the F-35 program, Lockheed Martin says.
But the jet has been more targeted in recent years due to maintenance and readiness problems.
A January 2025 report by the Director of Operational Tests and Evaluation of the Defense Department shows that all variants of multimillion jets do not meet the reliability, maintenance and availability requirements.
“The operational adequacy of the F-35 fleet continues short of the expectations of the service,” says the document.
Meanwhile, an online accident and mishaps database with the F-16.net F-35 shows 20 incidents involving the aircraft between 2014 and 2024.
