US Marine F-35B crashes near San Diego base, pilot ejects safely

SAN DIEGO: A US Marine Corps F-35 fighter jet crashed near Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Miramar in San Diego on Friday (local time), triggering a brush fire in the vicinity, according to US military officials, while the pilot safely ejected and was recovered.

The aircraft, assigned to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing and Marine Aircraft Group 11, went down at about 10 am local time in what the Marine Corps described as an “aircraft mishap” on the flight line, Fox News reported, citing officials.

First Lieutenant Blake Starbuck told Fox News that the incident was a “Class A mishap involving a Marine Corps F-35B in the vicinity of MCAS Miramar”. Lieutenant Starbuck confirmed that the aviator had ejected from the aircraft and was safely recovered following the crash.

BREAKING: F-35 fighter jet crashed and exploded near Miramar Air Base in San Diego. pic.twitter.com/Hg6jVdsRTz

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Officials said the cause of the crash remains under investigation by military authorities. Starbuck said he did not immediately have details on the purpose of the flight, including whether the aircraft was arriving at or departing from the airbase, or whether it had been conducting a training mission. He also said there was no immediate information on injuries or fatalities related to the incident.

Video footage captured by SkyRanger 7 showed the aircraft split into two sections in the middle of a scorched area roughly the size of a football field. Flames and thick smoke were seen rising from a field north of State Route 52, with the fire visible from the nearby freeway.

The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department told Fox News it was assisting efforts to contain the brush fire. However, it said the military retained jurisdiction over the crash site and the investigation. (ANI)