An F-35B fighter jet crashed near the US Marine Corps base at Miramar in San Diego on Friday morning, causing a small fire that first responders doused.
The pilot, who has not been publicly identified, was taken to a local medical facility after ejecting. “The pilot ejected, was transported to a local medical facility in stable condition for evaluation and treatment of non-life-threatening injuries,” the Marine Corps Miramar air base said in a statement.
Crash classified as Class A mishap
The cause of the crash remains unclear. Officials characterized the incident as a “Class A mishap,” the most severe mishap category, used when the damage totals more than $2m, an aircraft is destroyed, or a service member is killed. A single F-35B fighter jet costs about $109m.
Candace Hadley, a spokesperson for San Diego Fire, said firefighters responded to a vegetation fire that sparked near the crash site. She referred additional questions to Miramar.
F-35B capabilities and mishap record
The F-35B is one of several versions of the advanced stealth fighter jet flown by the Marine Corps, navy and air force. The “B” version has an engine designed for short takeoffs and is capable of vertical landings.
At least seven other military aircraft mishaps have occurred in the US this year, according to the Flight Safety Foundation’s Aviation Safety Network database. Mishap investigations can reportedly take several months.
The Lexington Institute, a thinktank focused on defense technology and national security, considers the F-35s the safest and most capable fighter jets in the military’s fleet. There have been fewer crashes involving any of the F-35 models since the jet was adopted in 2015 compared with other fighter jets when those planes were new, and fatal crashes are rare in F-35s.
