SAN DIEGO: A US Marine Corps F-35B stealth fighter crashed in California on Friday, but the pilot escaped a potentially deadly situation after safely ejecting from the aircraft. Officials said the pilot was taken to hospital in stable condition.
The aircraft went down near Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego. According to the Marine Corps, the pilot was transported to a local medical facility for evaluation and treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
Aerial footage from a news helicopter showed thick black smoke rising from the wreckage in a dirt field, with military personnel, firefighters, and emergency vehicles responding at the scene. White fire retardant was visible across the ground, while crews worked to control the fire.
San Diego Fire spokesperson Candace Hadley said firefighters responded to a vegetation fire that started near the crash site. She referred further questions about the incident to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar.
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Officials have not yet confirmed what caused the crash. An investigation will examine the circumstances surrounding the incident and determine the reason behind the aircraft’s failure.
Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, once known as “Fightertown USA,” previously hosted the Navy’s fighter pilot training school featured in the original Top Gun movie. The base was transferred to the Marine Corps in 1996, and the training school later moved to Naval Air Station Fallon in Nevada.
The F-35B is one of the variants of the advanced F-35 fighter aircraft operated by the US military. It is designed for short takeoffs and vertical landings, making it different from conventional fighter jets.
The US Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force operate more than 630 F-35 aircraft, according to a 2024 analysis by the Government Accountability Office.
A single F-35B aircraft costs around $109 million, while the overall F-35 programme is estimated to cost nearly $2 trillion over its lifetime, including future purchases and decades of operations.
The crash adds to a series of military aviation incidents reported in the United States this year. According to the Flight Safety Foundation’s Aviation Safety Network database, at least seven other military aircraft have crashed in the country in 2026.
The deadliest recent incident involved a B-52 bomber that crashed shortly after takeoff in California’s Mojave Desert in June, killing all eight people on board.
The Marine Corps said further updates on the F-35B crash will be provided as more information becomes available.
