SAN DIEGO — A U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II crashed at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar on Friday morning, sending a towering column of black smoke over the San Diego base after the pilot ejected safely and was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
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| Marine F-35B Crashes |
The "aircraft mishap" occurred just after 10 a.m. at the base, home of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, prompting an emergency response from base personnel and San Diego Fire-Rescue crews.
Witness Describes Dramatic Final Moments
Wade Lott, who was driving to work at a concrete company just south of the flight line, told reporters he watched in horror as two jets descended toward the runway together. The first landed without incident, but the second suddenly began slowing down, "almost as if it were trying to hover," Lott said.
When the jet was roughly 100 feet above the ground, the pilot ejected. Their parachute deployed as they rose approximately 200 feet into the air just in time, according to Lott.
"The jet hit the ground right next to another plane," Lott said. "It plowed into the runway and just blew up."
Fire Response and Damage
Aerial footage from news helicopters showed a plume of black smoke rising from the wreckage in a dirt field, with multiple military and firefighting vehicles on scene. What appeared to be white flame retardant covered the ground, and at least one responder was seen spraying the wreckage with a fire hose.
San Diego Fire spokesperson Candace Hadley confirmed that firefighters responded to a vegetation fire that sparked near the crash site.
Investigation Underway
The Marine Corps classified the crash as a "Class A mishap" — the most severe category, reserved for incidents involving damage exceeding $2 million, aircraft destruction, or fatalities.
The F-35B variant, which carries a price tag of approximately $109 million, is equipped with a specialized engine designed for short takeoffs and vertical landings.
The crash marks at least the eighth U.S. military aircraft mishap this year, according to aviation safety databases.
MCAS Miramar, once known as "Fightertown USA" and the setting for the original Top Gun film's Navy fighter pilot training school, was transferred to the Marine Corps in 1996.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation. Marine Corps officials have not yet released the pilot's identity.
