FRESNO, Calif. – A Navy fighter jet crashed near a California military base Monday, but the pilot ejected and safely parachuted to the ground, authorities said.
No one else was aboard the F/A-18 Super Hornet that crashed south of the Lemoore Naval Air Station shortly before 4 p.m.
The pilot underwent medical evaluation, was found to be fine and was released, the base’s commanding officer Capt. Monty Ashliman said at a news conference.
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The airfield was shut down for a few hours before operations resumed, Ashliman said.
The plane went down in a dirt field about three miles from the base, California Highway Patrol Officer Scott Jobinger said.
A fire from the crash was extinguished and no roads in the area were closed, Jobinger said.
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