Federal and local firefighters "responded to the crash of a contract aircraft near the Point Mugu Naval Air Station," northwest of Los Angeles, Ventura County's fire department said on its Facebook page yesterday.
"There is one confirmed fatality," the message added.
The Hawker Hunter aircraft crashed at 5:13 pm local time, and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate, it said.
Hawker Hunter jets, developed by the British in the 1950s, can have one or two seats.
Spokesmen for the Federal Aviation Authority did not immediately respond to requests for comment.