A US Navy F35C fighter jet crashed on July 30 near Naval Air Station Lemoore in California, prompting a swift emergency response and raising new concerns about the reliability of the advanced aircraft. The crash occurred at approximately 630 pm local time during a routine operation.
The aircraft belonged to Strike Fighter Squadron VFA 125 known as the Rough Raiders which is responsible for training carrier based pilots on the F35C Lightning II. Officials confirmed that the pilot ejected safely before the aircraft hit the ground. No injuries were reported among base personnel or civilians in the surrounding area.
Video footage from the scene showed a fireball followed by thick smoke rising from the crash site located in a rural area near the air station. Emergency crews including local firefighters quickly responded and managed to extinguish a brush fire caused by the crash.
The F35C is the carrier variant of the F35 Lightning II series one of the most advanced and expensive jets in the US military with a unit cost of around 100 million dollars. This incident marks the second F35 crash in 2025 following a similar accident involving an Air Force F35A in Alaska earlier this year where the pilot also ejected safely.
An investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the California crash. While no official explanation has been released yet the incident adds to the ongoing scrutiny surrounding the F35 program which has faced criticism over cost delays and maintenance challenges.
Despite the crash the US Navy emphasized that flight operations remain active and that safety protocols worked as intended allowing the pilot to survive without serious injury.