According to an official statement from the US Navy, on the evening of Wednesday, July 31, an F-35 fighter jet crashed near Lemoore Naval Air Station, located in central California. The investigation into the crash of the approximately $100 million aircraft is ongoing, and no official findings regarding the cause have yet been released.
At around 6:30 PM, the pilot of the F-35C successfully ejected and survived. Ambulance and fire crews quickly arrived at the scene, and the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the pilot’s health was under control. The crash site, which was engulfed in fire and thick smoke, was described as an open agricultural area about 40 miles (64 km) from Fresno, California.
The downed aircraft belonged to the VF-125 “Rough Raiders” Strike Squadron, which primarily functions as a training squadron for F-35 pilots. The F-35C model, developed for Navy use, is notable for its ability to take off from and land on aircraft carriers.
Lockheed Martin, the manufacturer of the F-35 program, highlights the jet’s advanced stealth and combat capabilities; however, the F-35 fleet has faced criticism in recent years over maintenance and operational readiness. A January 2025 report from the US Department of Defense emphasized that the F-35 fleet still falls short of service standards.
This incident marks the second F-35 crash in 2025. In January, an F-35A crashed during a training flight at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska, with the pilot also surviving.
According to FlightGlobal.com, the US Air Force operates 246 F-35s, the Marine Corps 122, and the Navy 41. The F-35 platform is currently active in the inventories of more than 17 countries worldwide.
