A US Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet crashed east of Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, California, in the morning hours of July 31.
“Search and rescue personnel are on scene and the status of the pilot is currently unknown,” a Joint Strike Fighter Wing spokesperson said.
The single-seat aircraft was flying out of Naval Air Station Lemoore.
According to local reports, the jet went down in the Death Valley National Park, near what is known as the “Star Wars Canyon”, a low-flying area popular with aviation photographers.
Unconfirmed reports further said that six park visitors sustained minor injuries in the accident.
An investigation into the cause of the crash is currently underway.