ARLINGTON, Va. — A U.S. Navy F/A-18 strike fighter crashed Oct. 20 west of Ridgecrest, California, according to a source and a local news bulletin.
A source said the pilot of the Super Hornet — assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 14 (VFA-14) — ejected. VFA-14 is based at Naval Air Station Lemoore, California.
The ABC station in Bakersfield, California, reported at 11:07 Pacific Time that the California Highway Patrol confirmed the crashed aircraft was a Navy fighter and that the Kern County Fire Department was on the scene. A small brush fire was caused by the crash.
Senior Editor of Seapower Magazine at Seapower
Richard R. Burgess, is senior editor for Seapower magazine. He is a retired naval flight officer and author of several books on naval aviation.
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