US Marine Corps F-35B Stealth Fighter Crashes in San Diego, Pilot Ejects

A US Marine Corps F-35B stealth fighter crashed and caught fire at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, California, on Friday, apparently resulting in the total loss of the $109 million aircraft, according to footage from the scene.

Emergency crews responded at around 10 AM local time to what the military described as a “Class A mishap,” its category for the most serious accidents. The aircraft was assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 11 of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.

“The pilot ejected, was transported to a local medical facility in stable condition for evaluation and treatment of non-life-threatening injuries,” the Marine Corps said in a follow-up statement, adding that the crash occurred on the base’s flightline.

Footage from the scene showed a thick column of black smoke rising above the base. Aerial video showed the burned-out jet lying in a scorched dirt field near the runway as military personnel and firefighters surrounded the wreckage.

The crash also sparked a vegetation fire, prompting a response from the San Diego Fire Department. White fire retardant could be seen covering parts of the ground around the aircraft. No injuries on the ground were immediately reported.

The military did not immediately disclose what caused the crash. The F-35B is the short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing variant of the fifth-generation Joint Strike Fighter and is operated primarily by the Marine Corps. Each aircraft costs approximately $109 million.

Miramar was formerly home to the US Navy fighter-pilot school depicted in the film Top Gun and was once known as “Fightertown USA.” The school moved to Nevada in 1996, when the base was transferred to the Marine Corps.