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, resulting in a Class A mishap. The pilot ejected from the single-seat aircraft and was recovered with non-life-threatening injuries, currently en route to a medical facility. Fire crews responded to the scene, spraying the wreckage with foam and extinguishing a grass fire that surrounded the football-field-sized patch of scorched earth. Witnesses on nearby Interstate 15 reported the aircraft flew over the freeway with its cockpit open before descending into a large fireball. While the cause of the crash is not yet clear, the F-35B is recognized as a highly advanced stealth aircraft capable of vertical takeoff and landing. The jet is operated by the US Marines, the United Kingdom, and Italy. Approximately 15,000 service members are based at the Miramar facility.