An F-35 assigned to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing crashed Friday morning at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, prompting an emergency response and igniting a brush fire, a base spokesperson told Fox News.
Emergency personnel responded to what the Marine Corps described as an “aircraft mishap” on the flight line at about 10 a.m. local time involving an F-35 assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 11, said 1st Lt. Blake Starbuck. The aircraft was based at MCAS Miramar.
The incident was a “Class A mishap involving a Marine Corps F-35B in the vicinity of MCAS Miramar,” the U.S. Marines told Fox News. The pilot ejected and was recovered.
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The Marines did not immediately release the pilot’s condition.
Starbuck told Fox News he did not immediately have information on the purpose of the flight, whether the aircraft was departing or arriving, or whether it was conducting a training mission.
The F-35B is the short takeoff and vertical landing variant of the F-35 Lightning II, a fifth-generation stealth fighter built by Lockheed Martin. The aircraft is operated by the Marine Corps and is designed to conduct air-to-air combat, strike missions and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations.
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Starbuck said he did not immediately have information on the purpose of the flight, whether the aircraft was departing or arriving, or whether it was conducting a training mission.
The Marine Corps routinely investigates aviation mishaps to determine what caused an incident and whether changes are needed to prevent similar accidents. Officials have not said when additional details about the investigation could be released.
Video from SkyRanger 7 showed the aircraft in two pieces amid a football-field-sized scorched area. A fire burned in a field north of State Route 52 and was visible from the freeway, prompting calls to the California Highway Patrol.
Marine Corps Air Station Miramar is home to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, the Marine Corps’ principal aviation force on the West Coast. The installation supports a variety of fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft used for training and operational missions.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
