An F‑35B fighter jet crashed on the flight line at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego on Friday morning, around 10 a.m. Pacific Time.
Witness footage captured a smoldering wreckage pile and thick smoke rising from the site, visible from a nearby highway.
The pilot successfully ejected from the aircraft and was recovered by emergency personnel without serious injury.
Military officials classified the incident as a “Class A mishap,” a designation applied to accidents that result in death, permanent disability, loss of the aircraft, or damage exceeding $2.5 million.
The aircraft involved belonged to the 3rd Marine Air Wing, Marine Air Group 11.
The F‑35B model combines short takeoff and vertical landing capabilities with advanced stealth and combat systems.
