Stealth fighter jet pilot forced to eject as $100M aircraft crashes in rural California
Plumes of black smoke were seen blowing across a field at around 6:40 p.m. Wednesday, after Fresno County officials said they received a report of a military jet 'engulfed in flames.'
Deputies, firefighters, and California Highway Patrol officers located the wreckage 40 miles out from the city of Fresno and just north of Lemoore Naval Air Station.
The pilot was found with a parachute in a nearby field after he was forced to eject from the aircraft. He is attached to the squadron known as the VFA-125 'Rough Raiders,' Fresno officials said.
He was airlifted to a local hospital by helicopter and is expected to recover.
'At night, firefighters used a bulldozer to cut a path to the jet so fire engines could get close enough to extinguish the fire,' FCSO said.
Fresno County Supervisor Buddy Mendes owns the field where the jet crashed.
Mendes told ABC News, his son alerted him to the crash, 'I got a call from one of my sons at about 6:50 – that 'hey, I think there's a plane crash in our field, I'm gonna go out there and see.'
'I was in my pajamas, so I put my clothes back on and came this way," Mendes added.
The F-35C is one of three variants of the F-35 Lightning II, designed for use on U.S. aircraft carriers. Manufactured by Lockheed Martin, the craft is deemed 'the most lethal, survivable, and connected fighter aircraft for America and its allies.'
The jet is priced at around $100 million and was the second F-35 to crash this year, according to reports from CNN. In January, an Air Force F-35A crashed at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska during a training mission. The pilot also ejected safely in that incident.
A military investigation is now underway to try to determine the cause of the crash.
The pilot successfully ejected and is safe. There are no additional affected personnel,' a statement to Reuters from NAS Lemoore read.
The Independent contacted the U.S. Navy and Lockheed Martin for comment.
The U.S. Air Force has 246 F-35s in its fleet, while the Marine Corps has 122 and the Navy has 41, according to the World Air Forces database on FlightGlobal.com.
Internationally, there are over 17 countries involved in the F-35 program, according to Lockheed Martin.
Recently, the jet has faced scrutiny regarding maintenance and readiness issues.
In a January 2025 report from the Defense Department's Director, Operational Test and Evaluation, variants of the multimillion-dollar jet failed to meet requirements for reliability, maintainability, and availability.
'The operational suitability of the F-35 fleet continues to fall short of Service expectations,' the report said.
In May, a U.S. Navy jet from the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier was lost to the Red Sea after the pilot and weapons systems officer were forced to eject when the F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet 's tail hook failed to catch the stopping wire and suffered an arrestment failure as it attempted to land on the carrier.
Both pilots survived the incident but suffered minor injuries.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Times
2 days ago
- Times
Mankeeping — are you your husband's BFF, therapist and PA?
A re you 'mankeeping'? If you're a woman in a heterosexual relationship who your partner (lovingly) calls their whole world, you might be. The term was coined by Angelica Puzio Ferrara, a social psychologist at Stanford University who researches male friendship, in a 2024 paper studying the role of primary emotional caregiver — therapist, confidante, social co-ordinator — that some women end up taking on in heterosexual relationships. 'My partner and I don't have kids but sometimes helping him understand, let alone articulate, his emotions feels like toddler training,' a female friend tells me. 'I organise or instigate almost every non-football-orientated social event, so he sees far more of my friends than his. And while I have many outlets for moaning, negativity and problems, he only has the one — and it's me!'
The Independent
2 days ago
- The Independent
Large great white shark spotted swimming close to Santa Monica pier
A large, 15-foot great white shark was spotted last week off the coast of Santa Monica – sparking real-life Jaws fears for California beach goers as the predator usually stays further off the coast. Photographer Carlos Guana sent out a drone to capture footage of the shark on Thursday after hearing reports that some Great White sharks had been breaching, or launching themselves out of the water and into the air, he told the Los Angeles Times. Video shared to YouTube shows the massive white shark swimming near someone on a paddleboard who appears completely unaware of its presence. When Guana heard there were great white sharks in the area, he assumed they were juveniles, which are smaller and known to frequent the area as they are attracted to near-shore warm waters. However, when Guana reviewed his drone footage, he was surprised to see an adult great white, which usually opt for colder, deeper waters, swimming near the surface, about 50 yards off the coast. 'The Santa Monica Bay is known as a nursery ground for juveniles,' Gauna told the LA Times. 'But this was no juvenile. This is the real deal.' Guana said he told a local lifeguard as a precaution, as encounters with violent sharks, like the great white, are rather uncommon in California. According to the California Fish and Wildlife, about 200 incidents involving great white sharks have occurred in the state's waters from 1950 to 2021. Of those encounters, 107 have resulted in injuries and 16 in deaths. Attacks from great whites are also incredibly rare. Fish and Wildlife officials say that while the sharks don't usually prey on humans, they may pose a threat to humans if they find them on their 'turf,' or near them in the water. The sighting was more awe-inspiring than scary for Guana, who took the chance encounter as a reminder of what wonderful wildlife exists just off California's beaches. 'It's a good reminder of how a great ecosystem exists next to one of the busiest cities in America,' he told the paper. 'And just how rare a shark attack here really is!' The sighting also comes after the largest great white shark ever was tagged off the coast of Massachusetts last month. Contender, a mature male shark measuring 13.8 feet and weighing around 1,653 pounds, emerged near Nantucket on July 18. The shark's tag pinged around 100 miles south of Boston and 30 miles from Cape Cod – a popular tourist destination. The powerful animal had been tagged in January, around 45 miles off the coast of Florida and Georgia, in order to help researchers and conservationists. Shark Week 2025, an annual programming block from Discovery, coincidentally began two days later on July 20.
The Sun
2 days ago
- The Sun
Heartbreaking vid shows toddler play near doomed plane days before horror crash that killed two-year-old and his parents
HEARTBREAKING footage has emerged showing a toddler playing around a small plane just days before it crashed and killed the entire family. Pilot Brandon LeRoy, his wife Jestene and their two-year-old baby Paxton tragically died after a small private plane nosedived into an Idaho home. 7 7 7 Emergency responders revealed that all members of the family suffered "multiple blunt force injuries" after the Mooney M20 plane plunged. While the mum and dad were pronounced dead at the scene, the toddler was rushed to the hospital with serious injuries. He succumbed to his wounds soon after. A video showing Paxton playing around the plane just three days before the crash has now gone viral. The clip, posted by mum Jestene, shows the toddler riding a tricycle around the doomed plane, which appears to be parked inside a hangar. Jestene wrote in the captions: "Imagine growing up riding your bike around your dad's plane before your dad flies you and your mom wherever you want." Data from FlightAware shows that the plane travelled between McMinnville, Oregon, Fresno, California, and Nampa, Idaho one week before the crash. The family's loved ones called the loss 'immeasurable", saying, 'to say we miss them doesn't come close.' Jeremiah LeRoy, Brandon's cousin, told KTVB in a statement: 'Together, they were building a life marked by love, purpose, and promise. 'Though their time here was far too short, their legacy is everlasting — a legacy of love, courage, joy, and selfless service. "A sacred reminder to live each day with purpose, with gratitude, and with unwavering faith.' Nampa Mayor Debbie Kling said: 'My heart grieves for those who tragically lost their life. Our thoughts and prayers are with their extended family during this difficult time.' In June, another Mooney M20 aircraft crashed and left one person dead and another critically injured near Boston. Two men were inside the aircraft that crashed on Sam Fonzo Drive, just outside the Beverly Regional Airport, according to the Beverly police and fire departments. 7 7 7 One man was pronounced dead at the scene while the other was airlifted to a hospital, authorities said. The names of the pilot and passenger have not been made public. No one on the ground was injured. The reported fixed-wing aircraft with four seats appeared to be badly damaged - and was resting against a utility pole. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said: "The preliminary information we have is the plane crashed under unknown circumstances." It added: "Once on site, the investigator will begin the process of documenting the scene and examining the aircraft. "The aircraft will then be recovered to a secure facility for further evaluation." US on edge over 'cluster' of plane crashes A series of devastating plane crashes, including the mid-air collision above DC that killed 67, has left Americans terrified of traveling by air. However, aviation expert and attorney Jason Matzus told The U.S. Sun the crashes can be attributed to "random clustering." "While these events are tragic, the likely explanation is simply 'random clustering,' which occurs when multiple crashes occur over a short period, warping our general perception and causing us to think that there is an increasing trend in plane crashes," Matzus said. "When in reality these crashes, despite being so close together, are merely coincidental and not caused by a systemic safety issue." The short period Matzus referred to was just a matter of three weeks. The aviation mishaps included: January 29 - A military helicopter and American Airlines plane collided at the Washington DC airport, killing 67 people January 31 - An air ambulance carrying a 6-year-old girl and her mom crashed on a street in Philadelphia, killing seven people in total February 5 - A Japan Airlines flight hit a parked Delta plane at Seattle SeaTac Airport and no one was injured February 6 - A small commuter plane on its way to Nome, Alaska, crashed killing all 10 people on board February 10 - Motley Crue singer Vince Neil's private jet collided with another plane, killing the pilot and injuring four others February 17 - A Delta plane crashed on the runway at Toronto Pearson International Airport, miraculously killing no one but injuring 21 February 19 - Two planes collided at Marana Airport in Arizona, killing two people February 24 - Smoke filled a Delta Airlines flight cabin forcing passengers to evacuate by a slide after making an emergency landing in Atlanta March 9 - A Beechcraft Bonanza aircraft crashed into a retirement village parking lot in Manheim, Pennsylvania March 13 - An American Airlines jet engine erupted into flames at the Denver airport, forcing passengers to escape onto the plane's wing
