Navy confirms F-35 fighter jet went down near California base, pilot safely ejected

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Navy confirms F-35 fighter jet went down near California base, pilot safely ejected

A naval F-35 fighter jet crashed in California near Naval Air Station Lemoore on Wednesday. (Fresno County Sheriff’s Office)

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A Navy pilot is safe after an F-35C fighter jet went down near Naval Air Station Lemoore in Southern California, causing a fiery crash and prompting a response from CAL Fire.

NAS Lemoore said “an aviation incident on the operations side of the installation” took place at around 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday. 

The jet crashed in a field near the intersection of South Dickenson Avenue and West Cadillac Ave and burst into flames, a California Highway Patrol report stated.

“We can confirm the pilot successfully ejected and is safe. There are no additional affected personnel,” NAS Lemoore confirmed via Facebook.

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A pilot associated with Naval Air Station Lemoore’s “Rough Raiders” is safe after ejecting from an F-35 fighter jet before it crashed and burst into flames in a field near the base on Wednesday. (Craig Kohlruss/Fresno Bee/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

The crash caused a small grass fire spanning about ten acres, according to a CAL Fire incident report. It was completely contained by 8:32 p.m. local time.

Details surrounding what caused the crash were not immediately available.

NAS Lemoore is the Navy’s largest Master Jet Base and is home to more than a dozen squadrons – training and operational.

A U.S. Navy F-35 crashed in California on Wednesday, but the pilot managed to safely eject, officials say.  (Fresno County Sheriff’s Office)

The base said on Facebook that the F-35C involved in the crash was attached to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 125 “Rough Raiders,” a specialized training unit.

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NAS Lemoore is the only Navy base that houses the F-35 Lightning II, according to its website. It is also home to more than half of the branch’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet aircraft.

The F-35 was associated with the VFA-125 “Rough Raiders” out of Naval Air Station Lemoore in Fresno County, California. (SONG KYUNG-SEOK/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Sixteen operational Strike Fighter squadrons, two Fleet Replacement squadrons, one Search and Rescue squadron, four west coast Carrier Air Wing Commands and staff operate out of the base.

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The base is located in Fresno County.

Fox News Digital reached out to NAS Lemoore but did not hear back by time of publication.