US media reported late Wednesday evening that a fighter jet of the F-35 model crashed and its pilot safely ejected with a parachute. The cause of the incident, which occurred around 6:30 PM, is under investigation.
The US Navy confirmed that the aircraft belonged to the “VFA-125” Strike Fighter Squadron, also known as the “Rough Raiders,” which is an alternate fleet squadron responsible for training pilots and aircraft crews.
It is noted that the US Naval Air Station Lemoore is located about 40 miles (64 kilometers) southwest of Fresno, central California.
The aircraft is one of three variants of the F-35 Lightning II, designed to operate on US aircraft carriers. The US Air Force uses the F-35A model, while the Marines use the F-35B model, which is designed for short takeoffs and vertical landings.
The price of this aircraft is around $100 million. This incident is the second of its kind this year, following a crash of a US Air Force aircraft at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska last January during a training mission.
