A Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II fighter jet crashed at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar on Friday morning.
A Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II fighter jet crashed and erupted into flames at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego on Friday morning. The aircraft went down short of the runway just before 10 a.m. PT, sparking a small brush fire on the base. Marine Corps spokesperson Maj. Larry Boyd confirmed that the pilot, who was the only person aboard, ejected safely from the plane. The pilot was transported to a medical facility with undisclosed injuries that were not considered to be life-threatening. The crash was described as a 'Class A mishap' by Marine Corps spokesperson Capt. Steven Keenan. The F-35B is a stealth aircraft capable of vertical takeoff and landing, costing approximately $102 million per unit. While the exact cause of the crash is still being investigated by the military, fire crews worked to extinguish the flames and douse the wreckage with foam. The base houses over 15,000 service members from all branches of the military.