Pilot dies as state-of-the-art fighter jet crashes

One of the US Air Force’s top-of-the-line F-22 fighter jets crashed in the high desert of Southern California, killing a test pilot for prime contractor Lockheed Martin Corp.

The F-22A Raptor crashed about 35 miles northeast of Edwards Air Force Base in the Mojave Desert.

The Bureau of Land Management identified the area as Harper Dry Lake, a vast and empty expanse of sometimes marshy flat land.

The pilot was David Cooley, 49, a 21-year Air Force veteran who joined Lockheed Martin in 2003, the company said in a statement.

It did not release any details of the accident, including whether Mr Cooley attempted to eject.

Mr Cooley, of Palmdale, California, was part of a team of company and Air Force pilots who conduct F-22 testing.

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of David and our concerns, thoughts and prayers at this time are with his family,” the statement said.