Overview
- The F-35B suffered an aircraft mishap on the flight line at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar at about 10 a.m. on Friday, leaving wreckage and a charred impact zone roughly the size of a football field.
- The pilot ejected from the jet, was recovered by responders and was transported to a medical facility for treatment.
- Marine Corps firefighters and San Diego Fire-Rescue crews worked the scene to suppress a vegetation fire that erupted near the crash site while multiple emergency vehicles and personnel remained on base.
- The Marine Corps officially classified the event as a Class A mishap involving an F-35B assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, and has opened a formal board of inquiry to investigate the cause.
- The F-35B is the Marine Corps’ short-takeoff/vertical-landing variant and the crash joins a recent string of high-profile U.S. military aviation incidents, meaning the investigation could prompt safety reviews and operational changes depending on its findings.