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A U.S. Marine Corps F-35B fighter jet crashed Friday morning at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, triggering an emergency response and a fire that sent thick columns of black smoke over one of the country's busiest military air installations. The pilot ejected and was recovered, officials confirmed.
The incident occurred at approximately 10 a.m. local time (1700 GMT), on a flight line east of the base's runways, near the intersection of Kearny Villa Road and Johnson Road. Marine Corps officials described it as a "Class A mishap," the military's highest-severity accident classification, which applies to incidents resulting in death, permanent disability, total aircraft loss or equipment damage exceeding $2.5 million.
The aircraft was assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, which is headquartered at Miramar.
"We can confirm a Class A mishap involving a Marine Corps F-35B in the vicinity of MCAS Miramar," a base spokesperson said. "The pilot ejected and has been recovered. More information will be made available shortly."
Video footage from news helicopters and social media showed what appeared to be a burned aircraft amid a football-field-sized patch of scorched earth, with fire crews working to douse the surrounding flames. A FOX 5/KUSI news team driving near the base spotted the smoke shortly after 10 a.m. An investigation into the cause of the crash is underway.
The F-35B is the short takeoff and vertical landing variant of Lockheed Martin's fifth-generation stealth fighter, operated by the Marine Corps as part of its transition away from older platforms such as the AV-8B Harrier. MCAS Miramar, located in northern San Diego, serves as the home of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, the largest air wing in the Marine Corps.
Friday's crash follows a similar emergency nearly 18 months ago, when an EA-18G Growler electronic warfare jet from Naval Air Station North Island went down in San Diego Bay while attempting to land. The crew of that aircraft also ejected and were rescued, in that case by a fishing boat.
The EA-18G Growler, built by Boeing, is a twin-seat variant of the F/A-18F Super Hornet and serves as the Navy's primary airborne electronic attack platform. San Diego is home to one of the largest concentrations of U.S. military aviation assets in the world, with multiple naval and Marine Corps air installations operating in close proximity to densely populated civilian areas.
Officials said the investigation into Friday's F-35B crash is ongoing and that further information would be released as it becomes available.
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