A US Marine Corps F-35 fighter jet crashed near a military base in San Diego on Friday, but the pilot safely ejected before impact, officials said.
“There was an aviation mishap involving a Marine Corps F-35B in the vicinity” of Marine Corps Air Station Miramar at about 10:00 a.m. local time (1700 GMT), a base spokesperson told AFP.
“The pilot ejected and has been recovered.”
In a later statement, the base said the pilot was taken to a medical facility in stable condition for evaluation and treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
Videos shared on social media showed thick black smoke billowing from the crash site as firefighters worked to extinguish the blaze.
Marine Corps Air Station Miramar is best known as the former home of the US Navy’s elite “Top Gun” fighter weapons school, made famous by the 1986 film Top Gun starring Tom Cruise.
The aircraft involved was an F-35B, the short takeoff and vertical landing variant of the stealth fighter. Each F-35B has a unit cost of about $109 million, according to manufacturer Lockheed Martin.
AFP
