The incident occurred at approximately 6:30 p.m. on the operations side of the installation, according to a statement from NAS Lemoore. “At around 6:30pm, an F-35C attached to the VFA-125 ‘Rough Raiders’ went down not far from NAS Lemoore,” the Navy said.
Fresno County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to reports of a downed aircraft at around 6:40 p.m., as reported by KMPH Fox 26. The jet was located in a cotton field near the base.
The pilot was transported to a local hospital following the ejection, KMPH reported. “We can confirm the pilot successfully ejected and is safe,” NAS Lemoore stated.
The Navy confirmed that no other personnel were affected by the crash. “There are no additional affected personnel,” the statement read.
The cause of the crash is currently under investigation. Further details have not yet been released.
