United States Navy F-35C Destroyed

A United States Navy F-35C Lightning II assigned to VFA-125 crashed near Naval Air Station Lemoore, California, on July 30, 2025, during a routine training flight. The pilot ejected safely and was recovered with no injuries. The aircraft wreckage impacted a cotton field and caught fire. This was the second F-35 loss for the U.S. military in 2025, following an Air Force F-35A crash in Alaska in January. The Naval Safety Command is investigating the cause of the incident.