A U.S. Navy F-35C fighter jet crashed Wednesday evening near Naval Air Station Lemoore in central California. The pilot ejected safely and was taken to a hospital for evaluation, according to Navy and local officials.
The aircraft, assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron VFA-125 “Rough Raiders,” went down around 6:30 p.m. in a cotton field north of the base, about 40 miles southwest of Fresno. The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office said deputies, firefighters, and EMS found the pilot with a parachute in a nearby field. He is expected to recover.
Fire crews used a bulldozer to reach the wreckage, which was burning on impact. Video from WION showed thick black smoke rising from the scene.
A F-35C Lightning II fighter jet crashed in a field in Fresno County, California last night.
The pilot successfully ejected and survived…#Navy #F35 #FighterJet #crash #military #F35C #F35crash #california pic.twitter.com/zsJcYbagHF
— Mrgunsngear (@Mrgunsngear) July 31, 2025
The Navy confirmed no other personnel were injured. VFA-125 is a Fleet Replacement Squadron responsible for training pilots on the F-35C, the carrier-based version of the Lockheed Martin-built fighter.
The F-35C is one of three variants of the stealth jet. The Air Force flies the F-35A, and the Marine Corps operates the F-35B, capable of vertical landings. Each aircraft costs about $100 million.
This is the second F-35 crash in 2025. An Air Force F-35A crashed during training in Alaska in January. That pilot also survived.
DANGER: F-35 fighter jet crashes at Alaska’s Eielson Air Force Base; pilot survives. pic.twitter.com/Z55DzMep1f
— @amuse (@amuse) January 29, 2025
