Pilot ejects before F-35 jet crash at US Marine Corps' Miramar air base in San Diego

Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times on Jul 31, 2026

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A pilot safely ejected from an F-35B jet before it crashed Friday morning at the U.S. Marine Corps’ Air Station Miramar in San Diego, according to military officials.

Military crews responded to what the Marine Corps called “an aircraft mishap” around 10 a.m., according to a statement from 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing spokesperson Maj. Larry Boyd.

The pilot, who was the only person on the jet, was taken to a medical facility with what Boyd described as non-life-threatening injuries. The pilot was considered in stable condition.

It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the crash.

The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department also responded to the scene to support the suppression of some brush that caught fire “next to the plane crash area,” said department spokesperson Candace Hadley.

But Boyd said only smoke was confirmed at the scene, which was “quickly controlled by on-site firefighters.”

Though a column of black smoke rose over the Miramar air station early Friday, according to images captured on Alert California cameras, any fire or smoke appeared to dissipate quickly.

Video captured from the base Friday afternoon showed only a charred aircraft.

Marine Corps Air Station Miramar is the home of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, the largest of the Marine’s air wings, according to the unit’s website. That unit provides “combat ready, expeditionary aviation forces,” according to its website.

The F-35B jet, also known as F-35B Lightning II, is a fighter jet that can land vertically like a helicopter, allowing it to operate in limited conditions, according to a website about the aircraft. Along with the U.S. Marine Corps, the model is operated by the United Kingdom and the Italian Air Force, the website said.

The F-35B costs, on average, $109 million to produce, according to the website.

In June, a B-52 bomber jet crashed at Edwards Air Force Base, northeast of Los Angeles, killing eight.

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