US F-35 fighter jet crashes near Marine Corps Air Station Miramar as pilot survives after ejecting safely before impact.
LOS ANGELES: A US F-35 fighter jet crashed near Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Miramar in San Diego on Friday morning, but the pilot safely ejected before the aircraft hit the ground, military officials confirmed.
A spokesperson for MCAS Miramar said the incident occurred at around 10:00 a.m. local time (1700 GMT) and involved a US Marine Corps F-35B stealth fighter aircraft.
Officials confirmed that the pilot successfully ejected and was quickly rescued by emergency personnel. The pilot was later taken to a nearby medical facility in stable condition for evaluation and treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
Videos shared on social media showed a large plume of smoke rising from the crash site as firefighters rushed to extinguish the flames.
The cause of the crash has not yet been determined, and military authorities have launched an investigation into the incident.
MCAS Miramar is widely known as the former home of the US Navy’s legendary “Top Gun” fighter pilot training school, which gained worldwide fame through the 1986 Hollywood film Top Gun, starring Tom Cruise.
The F-35B is a fifth-generation stealth fighter equipped with short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) capabilities, allowing it to operate from aircraft carriers and shorter runways. According to manufacturer Lockheed Martin, each F-35B aircraft is valued at approximately $109 million.
