US Marine Corps F-35B fighter jet crashes in California, pilot safe

A U.S. Marine Corps F-35B stealth fighter jet crashed on Friday, July 31, 2026, near Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, California. The incident occurred around 10:00 AM local time, with the pilot successfully ejecting from the aircraft before impact. The pilot was subsequently transported to a local medical facility and is in stable condition, having sustained non-life-threatening injuries.

The advanced fighter jet, assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, was completely destroyed in what the Marine Corps has classified as a "Class A mishap." This designation signifies the most severe category of accident, involving damage exceeding $2 million or the loss of an aircraft. Aerial footage from the scene depicted a plume of black smoke rising from the wreckage in a dirt field, with emergency personnel, including firefighters, responding to extinguish a vegetation fire that ignited near the crash site.

Witnesses described the F-35B appearing to slow down as if to hover shortly before the pilot ejected at approximately 100 feet above the ground. The jet then reportedly crashed and exploded next to another aircraft on the runway. The cause of the crash is currently under investigation by the Marine Corps.