Private jet plane crashes near military base in California

[October 30, 2014]  (Reuters) - A small jet plane owned by a private company crashed on its approach to landing at a military base in Southern California on Wednesday, killing the pilot, a fire official said.

The Hawker Hunter aircraft went down in a strawberry field near Naval Base Ventura County in the area of Point Mugu, said Bill Nash, a spokesman for the county fire department.

The pilot on board was declared dead at the scene of the crash, which did not injure anyone on the ground or involve another plane, Nash said.

The aircraft was operated on a contract basis with the U.S. military, possibly for use in training, and its pilot does not appear to have been a member of the U.S. military, Nash said.

The Hawker Hunter is a type of plane first built in the 1950s and previously used by the British Royal Air Force and other nations such as India.

A representative from Naval Base Ventura County did not return calls.

(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis; Editing by Eric Walsh)

[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2014 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.