A sailor was “seriously injured” earlier this month while conducting maintenance on an F-35C Lightning II jet at Naval Air Station Lemoore, California, according to the Naval Safety Command and officials.
The incident happened June 1, as the sailor was performing routine maintenance on a Strike Fighter Squadron 97 jet, according to a Naval Air Forces statement.
Following the mishap, “the Sailor was given immediate emergency care at the scene and was transported to a hospital in Fresno, California, via helicopter,” the command said.
Authorities have not identified the sailor, and generally does not identified those injured in mishaps due to privacy regulations.
The sailor is currently in fair condition and remains hospitalized, according to officials, who declined to provide further details on the incident, citing an ongoing investigation.
Naval Safety Command has classified the accident as a “Class A” mishap, a level that involves death or “permanent total disability.”
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