A Navy fighter jet pilot was able to safely eject from his plane before it crashed in California on Tuesday.
The single-seat F/A-18E Super Hornet went down shortly before 10:30 a.m. in an open field in eastern Kern County, Cmdr. Zachary Harrell, a Naval Air Forces spokesman, told ABC News. Crews from multiple departments battled a small brush fire that erupted from the crash.
The jet had originated from Naval Air Station Lemoore, a military installation in California's Central Valley, and the accident happened when the aircraft "experienced a mishap during a routine training flight," an online update from the naval station stated. It's not clear if the plane was carrying ordinance when it went down.
Harrell told ABC News that the pilot was in good and stable condition following the crash. He was being taken to an area hospital for treatment, Harrell added.
The Kern County Board of Supervisors was meeting when the accident happened. As soon as news of the crash broke, District 1 Supervisor Mick Gleason, who represents China Lake's district, left the meeting in order to respond to the incident, KERO-TV reports.
