TRONA (Calif.) — Authorities say a Navy fighter jet crashed in the Southern California desert on Friday, killing the pilot.
The Navy released a statement stating that an F/A-18E Super Hornet, based at Naval Air Station Lemoore, went down in the area around Trona, a unincorporated Mojave Desert community, in San Bernardino County.
No one was hurt on the ground.
According to a Sunday release, Lt. Richard Bullock was the pilot.
Bullock was assigned at the naval base to Strike Fighter Squadron 113.
According to the Navy, he was on a routine training mission when his plane crashed in remote areas.
This incident is still under investigation.
The statement stated that the Navy was grieving the loss of Lt. Bullock’s family, friends, and shipmates.
Trona lies approximately 236 miles southeast from the Central Valley air station.
According to the website, Lemoore is home of Commander Strike Fighter Wing Pacific (CSM) and Commander Joint Strike Fighter Wing (CJSFW). It also hosts 16 operational Strike Fighter squadrons.
A Navy Super Hornet crashed into Death Valley National Park in 2019 during a routine training mission. The pilot was killed and seven others were injured by the debris. Officials said that they had been gathered at a picturesque overlook, where they could see military pilots racing through a canyon called Star Wars Canyon.
