A U.S. Marine Corps F-35B stealth fighter jet crashed near Miramar Air Station in San Diego, California, on Friday. The pilot ejected and was confirmed safe.
In a statement, the U.S. Marine Corps said the pilot ejected, was taken to a local medical facility in stable condition for evaluation and treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
Video from a news helicopter showed black smoke rising from wreckage in an open field, with multiple military and fire vehicles and personnel nearby. The area was covered with white fire retardant, and at least one person was spraying water on the wreckage.
Candace Hadley, a spokesperson for the San Diego Fire Department, said firefighters responded to a vegetation fire that broke out near the crash site. She referred further questions to Miramar Air Station.
Miramar was once home to the U.S. Navy's fighter pilot training school, made famous by the movie Top Gun, and was dubbed "Fightertown USA" during its heyday. The school was moved to Naval Air Station Fallon in Nevada in 1996 after the base was transferred to the Marine Corps.
According to a 2024 analysis by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), the Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force currently operate more than 630 F-35 aircraft. The F-35B is one variant in the F-35 family, equipped with an engine designed for short takeoff and vertical landing capabilities. An F-35B costs about $109 million. The report estimates the entire F-35 program will cost about $2 trillion after the military buys more than 1,800 aircraft and operates them for decades to come.
According to the Flight Safety Foundation database, at least seven other military aircraft accidents have occurred in the U.S. this year. The most serious involved a B-52 bomber that crashed shortly after takeoff in the Mojave Desert, California, in June, killing all eight people on board.
