F-35 Fighter Jet Crashes in California, Pilot Safely Ejects
On Wednesday evening, a US Navy F-35 fighter jet crashed near Naval Air Station Lemoore in central California, with the pilot ejecting safely and being found by first responders. The incident occurred in open farmland approximately 64km southwest of Fresno, and videos shared by the Fresno County Sheriff Office and local media showed flames and thick black smoke billowing from the wreckage. Emergency services responded to the scene, with the pilot found with a parachute in a nearby field.
The jet, part of Strike Fighter Squadron VFA-125, the ‘Rough Raiders,’ serves as a training unit preparing pilots and maintenance crews for fleet squadrons. The cause of the crash is under investigation, and it adds to a growing list of mishaps involving the F-35. In June, a British Royal Navy F-35B made an emergency landing in India due to a hydraulic failure, remaining grounded for 39 days while technical experts from the UK made multiple attempts to fix it. In January, an F-35A crashed in Alaska during a training flight, although the pilot ejected safely. Other recent incidents include a May 2024 crash en route from Texas to California, and an October 2023 event in South Carolina where the pilot ejected prematurely, leaving the aircraft to crash unmanned.
The F-35, a cornerstone of the US military’s fleet, is manufactured by Lockheed Martin jointly with Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems. A fifth-generation stealth fighter designed to replace aging aircraft like the F-16, it is operated by multiple nations across Europe, the Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East. A January 2025 report by the Defense Department’s Director of Operational Test and Evaluation found that all F-35 variants fall short of required standards for reliability, maintainability, and availability, raising concerns about the aircraft’s operational effectiveness.
The latest incident highlights ongoing challenges with the F-35 program, which has been plagued by technical issues and maintenance difficulties since its inception. While the pilot’s safety was ensured, the crash raises questions about the aircraft’s readiness and the effectiveness of the military’s maintenance and training programs. The ongoing investigation into this and other incidents may influence future plans for the F-35’s operational deployment and development.