Fire crews spray down the wreckage of an F-35B fighter jet after it crashed near Miramar air base in San Diego. Photograph: Sandy Huffaker/AFP/Getty Images
An F-35B fighter jet crashed near a US Marine Corps base in San Diego on Friday morning, sparking a small fire that first responders doused.
The pilot, who has not been publicly identified, sustained non-life-threatening injuries, according to a statement from the Marine Corps Miramar air base. “The pilot ejected, was transported to a local medical facility in stable condition for evaluation and treatment of non-life-threatening injuries,” the Marine Corps said in an updated statement.
It’s unclear what led to the crash, which officials characterized as a “Class A mishap”. That’s the most severe mishap category, used when the damage totals more than $2m, an aircraft is destroyed or a service member killed.
A single F-35B fighter jet costs about $109m.
Candace Hadley, a spokesperson for San Diego Fire, said firefighters were on scene to respond to a vegetation fire that sparked near the crash site. She referred additional questions to Miramar.
The F-35B is one of several versions of the advanced stealth fighter jet that is flown by the Marine Corps, navy and air force. The “B” version has an engine that is designed for short takeoffs and is capable of vertical landings.
At least seven other military aircraft mishaps have happened in the US this year, according to the Flight Safety Foundation’s Aviation Safety Network database.
Mishap investigations reportedly can take several months.
The F-35s are considered the safest and most capable fighter jets the military has in its fleet, according to the Lexington Institute thinktank that focuses on defense technology and national security.
There have been fewer crashes involving any of the F-35 models since the jet was adopted in 2015 compared with other fighter jets when those planes were new – and fatal crashes are rare in F-35s.
