FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – An F-35C “Rough Raiders” jet crashed into a field in Fresno County, California, on Wednesday.
Naval Air Station Lemoore said the pilot is safe after successfully ejecting before the crash.
Toni Botti, a public information officer for the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, said the pilot was located and transported to a hospital where he was “doing OK” as of Wednesday night.
“The little that we know about the pilot is that he is a veteran pilot with lots of experience,” Botti told reporters.
Deputies responded to the downed aircraft, which crashed near Cadillac and Dickenson avenues, at around 6:40 p.m. Naval Air Station Lemoore confirmed the F-35C attached to the VFA-125 Rough Raiders jet went down not far from base.
NAS Lemoore reports no additional personnel were affected.
The crash ignited a fire, however, which grew to encompass five acres. It had been 100% contained as of 9 p.m., according to Cal Fire, and was extinguished just before 11 p.m.
Fresno County Supervisor Buddy Mendes, who oversees the district, told Nexstar’ KSEE that aircraft actually crashed in his cottonfield. It’s also not the first time an aircraft has crashed into his land: There was a deadly F-18 crash in the same area almost two decades ago.
A federal investigation is underway. No further information on the incident has been officially released.
