A US Marine Corps F‑35B fighter jet crashed Friday morning near Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Miramar in San Diego, but the pilot ejected safely before impact, officials confirmed.
Base spokesman said the “aviation mishap” occurred around 10:00am (1700 GMT) in the vicinity of MCAS Miramar. “The pilot was ejected and has been recovered,” he told AFP.
A later statement added the pilot was transported to a medical facility “in stable condition for evaluation and treatment of non‑life‑threatening injuries.”
Footage circulating on social media showed smoke rising from the crash site as firefighters worked to extinguish flames.
MCAS Miramar is internationally known as the former home of the US Navy’s “Top Gun” school for elite pilots, popularized in the 1986 film starring Tom Cruise.
The F‑35B, a stealth jet variant capable of vertical takeoff and landing, carries a price tag of about $109 million, according to manufacturer Lockheed Martin.
Candace Hadley, spokeswoman for San Diego Fire, confirmed crews were deployed to tackle the blaze and referred further inquiries to Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Miramar.
MCAS Miramar, once known as “Fightertown USA,” hosted the Navy’s elite fighter pilot training school depicted in the original Top Gun film before the program was relocated to Naval Air Station Fallon in Nevada in 1996, following the base’s transfer to the Marine Corps.
According to a 2024 Government Accounting Office analysis, the US Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force together operate more than 630 F‑35 aircraft, with the overall program cost estimated at US$2 trillion, reports AP.
The F‑35B variant, equipped with an engine for short take‑offs and vertical landings, carries a unit price of about US$109 million.
‘Class A mishap’
A Marines statement described Friday’s crash as a “Class A mishap,” the most severe category, applied when damage exceeds US$2 million, an aircraft is destroyed, or a service member is killed.
Air Force Safety Centre data show at least 17 other “Class A mishaps” involving F‑35 aircraft since 2000. The Flight Safety Foundation’s Aviation Safety Network records at least seven other US military aircraft mishaps so far this year.
Despite such incidents, the F‑35 fleet is regarded as the safest and most capable fighter jets in service, according to the Lexington Institute, a think tank specializing in defence technology and national security.
Since adoption in 2015, F‑35 crashes have been fewer compared to other fighters in their early years, with fatal accidents rare.
In five F‑35 crashes, pilots successfully ejected, though one sustained injuries in May 2024 when an F‑35 went down near Albuquerque International Airport while en route from Texas to a California Air Force base.
