US Marine F-35 Fighter Jet Crashes Near California Base, Pilot Safe

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Los Angeles: A US Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II stealth fighter jet crashed near Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, California, during a training flight on Friday, but the pilot escaped safely moments before the plane collided with the ground and caught fire, according to military officials.

The plane crashed around 10:00 a.m. local time in an open area near the base. Aerial footage showed dense black smoke billowing from the wreckage as firemen attempted to extinguish the fire. The incident also started a small vegetation fire, which was immediately contained and prevented from spreading to surrounding facilities.

Marine Corps officials confirmed that the pilot successfully ejected at a low altitude and was brought to a local hospital with minor injuries. There are no reported civilian deaths or injuries on the scene.

The F-35B, a short take off and vertical landing (STOVL) derivative of Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II, is one of the United States military's most advanced stealth fighters. The aircraft involved in the incident is expected to cost over $109 million. The Marine Corps has classed the occurrence as a Class A aviation mishap, the most serious category, resulting in an official investigation into the crash's cause.

The crash adds to a string of recent F-35 incidents that have heightened concerns about the aircraft's safety record, despite the fact that military authorities continue to regard the fifth-generation fighter as one of the safest combat aircraft in US service. To ascertain what caused the accident, investigators will review flight data, maintenance logs, and pilot reports.