Expensive Stealth Fighter Goes Down Near Naval Air Station Lemoore

A US Navy F-35C fighter jet crashed in a rural part of Fresno County, California, on July 23. While it sparked a fire and a flurry of federal attention, thankfully, it did not result in a tragedy.

The pilot safely ejected before the aircraft slammed into a cotton field near the intersection of Cadillac and Dickenson Avenues, just miles from Naval Air Station (NAS) Lemoore. He was airlifted to a nearby hospital and is expected to make a quick recovery.

The aircraft belonged to Strike Fighter Squadron VFA-125, known as the “Rough Raiders,” a training unit responsible for preparing Navy pilots to fly the F-35C Lightning II. That’s the carrier-capable variant of the F-35 stealth fighter, complete with reinforced landing gear and a folding wing that is ideal for naval aviation, though slightly less ideal for crash landings in farmland.

The jet went down around 6:30 pm on July 23, and according to the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office and NAS Lemoore, the cause remains under investigation. Local officials were quick to note that the investigation will be “long and drawn out,”...which is par for the course when a $100 million stealth jet goes up in flames.

The crash also ignited a grass fire that burned roughly a dozen acres. Fire crews faced a few challenges beyond the usual, especially since composite airframes like the F-35C tend to burn extremely hot. And, with the aircraft’s large fuel load, containment required foam suppression and heavy equipment just to reach the wreckage. A dozer line had to be cut to get firefighting apparatus into the field.

Federal investigators and military personnel are now on-site, and the area remains secured. With no civilians injured, and the pilot recovering, officials are focusing on determining what went wrong in a jet designed to be one of the most advanced flying machines in the world.

FMI: www.navy.mil