Reports detail hydraulic issues in 2020 fighter jet crash near Kern County naval base
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — No one was hurt, but the $70 million jet was lost.
Analysis from a Freedom of Information Act request filed in 2020 over the crash was recently made public to 17 News. Long story short — it was pilot error from beginning to end.
'Just shut down the wrong motor. It's just, it doesn't get any more basic than that, the airmanship,' said Matthew 'Whiz' Buckley, of the No Fallen Heroes Foundation. 'Taking your time and stepping through the emergency procedures would have probably prevented this mishap.'
Over four years ago on October 20, 2020, a FA-18 fighter jet crashed near Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake in east Kern County.
The location of the crash occurred near the intersection of Highways 14 and 178, causing road closures and affecting traffic for days. The shocking news sent then-Supervisor Mick Gleason running out of a Board of Supervisors meeting.
Years later in 2025, we have finally learned what led to the mayday call, with the help of Matthew 'Whiz' Buckley. Whiz is a U.S. Navy fighter pilot of 15 years, who flew FA-18 Hornets in over 40 combat missions.
He spent five years at Naval Air Station Lemoore.
'So, definitely great airspace for flying and not a lot of people around, right?' said Buckley. 'So we put these master jet bases, usually out in the middle of nowhere, for a reason…so civilians aren't at risk.'
The jet in question is the FA-18E Super Hornet — the single seat model. The FA-18 stands for fighter/attack jets…and they can carry missiles, bombs and other weapons. The two-engine jet is used by the U.S. Navy and costs about $70 million.
'Once you know what you're doing, it's pretty easy,' said Buckley. 'The jet actually becomes an extension of you.'
During emergencies, pilots are required to pay even more attention for certain procedures.
'There are things called immediate action items. So, we have to memorize emergency procedures,' Buckley added.
The mishap pilot — that's how he's described in the report, with his name redacted — got a hydraulic, hot caution message. The report explains the FA-18E model has one engine on either side of the jet.
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If a hydraulic 1 hot caution message pops up, you're supposed to turn off the left engine. The right engine is to be turned off for a hydraulic 2 hot caution.
'So, he executed the immediate action item for that hydraulic hot caution, which says, hey, secure the engine. Well, he secured the wrong engine. The right engine was supposed to be secured. He ended up securing the good engine,' said Buckley. 'Hydraulic hot caution is a big deal…these gears and things are spinning back there, and it needs fluid to keep it cool. So, you're getting a caution like that, the reason you have to shut that motor down pretty, pretty fast is because that's going to result in a fire.'
Whiz says the pilot was more than qualified to be operating the jet, having been a naval aviator of about four years with no prior aviation mishaps.
The report points out — he had a history of responding poorly in emergencies.
'If things go wrong, airborne, things kind of break down in his cockpit, which clearly is one of the main reasons of this mishap,' said Buckley.
Here's a timeline of events, according to the report. Around 8:40 a.m., the jet took flight, as part of Lemoore's VFA-14 Strike Fighter Squadron. Each of the four pilots — including the mishap pilot — flies the single-seat FA-18E Super Hornet.
The day of the wreck, they were carrying practice bombs and inert rounds of 20mm ammunition. They planned to fly from Lemoore to Superior Valley Tactical Training Range in China Lake, execute their practice mission and then fly back to Lemoore.
But at 09:46:54, the first HYD2 HOT caution message appeared. The squadron's executive officer ordered the two other members to return to Lemoore, while he attempted to assist the mishap pilot. From 10:05:24 to 10:06:10 — when the pilot ejected himself — the aircraft was out of control.
The report details after ejecting, the pilot lost his vision momentarily but felt the acceleration of the seat, the shock of the parachute opening and watched the aircraft crash and burn.
Whiz says he would've done a few things differently.
Initially, the mishap pilot was directed to return to home base, despite Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake being closer.
'There is no way in hell with a hydraulic hot caution that I would want to fly over the mountains all the way back to Lemoore, period,' said Buckley. 'Land the plane on the closest concrete.'
Buckley also says the pilot should've restarted the functioning engine he accidentally turned off.
'What's the worst thing that can happen? You're about to crash anyway, if that thing restarts, and now you got two motors, you can land safely,' said Buckley.
After the crash, federal, state and local firefighters responded to the scene, where the jet was fully engulfed in flames with small brush fires around it.
The pilot was admitted to Ridgecrest Regional Hospital.
'How lucky would you say this pilot was that, first of all, he didn't die, thankfully. But also, again, there wasn't a huge fire that started as a result, or that civilians were injured as a result,' said Buckley. '100%. It's an act of God, in my opinion. Hopefully he can learn from this and still serve his country.'
A spokesperson for the naval air forces tells us the pilot is still serving in the Navy.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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