The pilot ejected safely from the fighter jet, which was attached to a US Navy training squadron

An F-35 US Navy fighter jet crashed in central California on Wednesday evening, marking the latest in a string of incidents involving the aircraft.

The pilot ejected safely and was found by first responders with a parachute in a nearby field, the Fresno County Sheriff Office said in a statement on social media.

The crash occurred near Naval Air Station Lemoore, roughly 64km southwest of Fresno, in open farmland.

Videos shared by the Sheriff Office and filmed by local media showed flames and thick black smoke billowing from the wreckage, with emergency services responding to the scene.

The jet belonged to Strike Fighter Squadron VFA125, the 'Rough Raiders', which serves as a training unit preparing pilots and maintenance crews for fleet squadrons.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

The F-35, a cornerstone of the US military's fleet, is manufactured by Lockheed Martin jointly with Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems. A fifth-generation stealth fighter designed to replace aging aircraft like the F16, it is operated by multiple nations across Europe, the Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East.

Wednesday's incident adds to a growing list of mishaps. In June, a British Royal Navy F35B made an emergency landing in India due to a hydraulic failure, remaining grounded for 39 days while technical experts from the UK made multiple attempts to fix it.

In January, an F35A crashed in Alaska during a training flight, although the pilot ejected safely. Other recent incidents include a May 2024 crash en route from Texas to California, and an October 2023 event in South Carolina where the pilot ejected prematurely, leaving the aircraft to crash unmanned.

READ MORE: British F-35 finally leaves India after 39 days grounded (VIDEO)

A January 2025 report by the Defense Department's Director of Operational Test and Evaluation found that all F35 variants fall short of required standards for reliability, maintainability, and availability.

(RT.com)