US military says F-35B jet fighter crashes in California, pilot safe

What the report says

A US Marine Corps F-35B stealth fighter crashed in California on Friday near Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, according to Al Jazeera’s report citing a Marine Corps statement. The pilot ejected before impact and was taken to a local medical facility in stable condition for evaluation and treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.

The article said aerial footage showed dark smoke rising from the wreckage in a dirt field, with military and firefighting vehicles nearby. It also noted that emergency crews responded to a vegetation fire that began near the crash site. San Diego Fire said firefighters were on scene, while further questions were directed to the base.

Al Jazeera added background on Miramar, which once hosted the Navy’s fighter pilot training school featured in the original Top Gun film before that school moved to Nevada in 1996. The report also placed the incident in a broader military context, noting that the United States has more than 630 F-35 aircraft across the Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force. The crash is part of a year in which several other US military aircraft accidents have been reported, underscoring ongoing safety concerns around the fleet and high costs tied to the F-35 program.