An F-35 fighter jet crashed near Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego on Friday, erupting into flames and sending thick black smoke into the air as emergency crews rushed to the scene.
The pilot safely ejected before the crash and was recovered by first responders. The Marine Corps said the pilot, who was assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 11 with the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, was taken to a medical facility with non-life-threatening injuries. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
Images from the scene showed the smoking wreckage resting in an open field near the base, with firefighters and military personnel surrounding the aircraft. Video from local television helicopters captured crews extinguishing the blaze while responders sprayed fire retardant around the crash site. Social media footage also showed a large plume of black smoke rising from the downed jet.
🚨 JUST IN: A US F-35 aircraft HAS CRASHED at a base in California, and the crash site looks absolutely terrifying
Pray for the pilots 🙏🏻🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/3nGEgtbEvi
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) July 31, 2026
Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, about 10 miles north of downtown San Diego, serves as the headquarters of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing and is home to more than 15,000 Marines, sailors and civilian personnel.
The crash is the latest high-profile incident involving the military’s F-35 program. The stealth fighter is flown by the Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force, with each aircraft costing roughly $100 million, depending on the variant.
Friday’s incident also revived memories of another fatal military aviation accident near Miramar. In 2023, Marine Corps Maj. Andrew Mettler was killed after ejecting from an F/A-18 Hornet that crashed on government property near the base during a training flight. He was the only person aboard the aircraft, and his body was found after an hourslong search involving the U.S. Coast Guard and San Diego Fire-Rescue Department.
