Super Hornet crashes in Central California

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An F/A-18E Super Hornet, attached to the Eagles of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 115, breaks the sound barrier during an air power demonstration, showcasing firepower capability and maneuverability while at sea in the Indo-Pacific region. Events included formation flybys, high-speed aerial turns and rocket shoots by Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5 aircraft, and a 5-inch gun shoot from guided-missile cruiser USS Antietam (CG 54). CVW-5 is currently embarked on the Navy’s only forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76). Ronald Reagan, the flagship of Carrier Strike Group 5, provides a combat-ready force that protects and defends the United Sates, as well as the collective maritime interests of its allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Oswald Felix Jr.)

A Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet crashed late Tuesday morning in Central California.

The crash occurred at about 10:10 a.m. after the jet “experienced a mishap during a routine training flight in the Superior Valley, just south of Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake,” according to Navy spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Lydia Bock.

The pilot ejected and was taken to a local hospital for examination, she said in a brief statement.

Bock declined to name the squadron to which the jet belonged but said it was stationed at Naval Air Station Lemoore, which lies northwest of the China Lake base.

The crash is under investigation, she said.

23ABC News in nearby Bakersfield reported that the crash occurred west of the town of Ridgecrest, near the crossing of Highways 178 and 14, a few miles from the China Lake base.

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Geoff is the managing editor of Military Times, but he still loves writing stories. He covered Iraq and Afghanistan extensively and was a reporter at the Chicago Tribune. He welcomes any and all kinds of tips at geoffz@militarytimes.com.