LOS ANGELES, September 22. /TASS/. US Air Force F-18 Hornet fighter jet was reported to have crashed in California shortly after its pilot ejected from the aircraft, according to Los Angeles Times daily.

The daily reported citing the California Highway Patrol that the jet crashed in the north of the state near the town of Lemoore and patrol’s officers were dispatched to the scene after 4 p.m. local time.

The first crews of rescuers at the scene extinguished the fire from the crash, but the pilot was not found and his status remained unknown at the time of the report.