- A Marine Corps F-35B crashed near MCAS Miramar during a Friday morning flight operation.
- The pilot successfully ejected with non-life-threatening injuries and is currently in stable condition.
- Military officials classified the crash as a Class A mishap involving significant financial loss.
A Marine Corps F-35B crashed Friday at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, ejecting its only pilot and igniting a vegetation fire near the base’s flight line.
The pilot was recovered and taken to a medical facility, Marine officials said. Maj. Larry Boyd, a spokesperson for the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, said the pilot had non-life-threatening injuries and was in stable condition.
Emergency crews responded to black smoke and scorched ground. Firefighters and military vehicles gathered near the wreckage.
The crash occurred Friday morning, July 31, 2026. One report placed it at about 10:00 a.m. near the east side of the runways, close to Kearny Villa Road and Johnson Road.
The Marine Corps identified the aircraft as an F-35B Lightning II assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 11. The group is part of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, headquartered at Miramar.
Officials classified the incident as a “Class A mishap,” the military’s most severe aviation category. The designation typically covers a destroyed aircraft, a fatality or damage exceeding $2.5 million.
“We can confirm a Class A mishap involving a Marine Corps F-35B in the vicinity of MCAS Miramar,” the Marine Corps said. “The pilot ejected and has been recovered. More information will be made available shortly.”
The pilot was the only person aboard the jet
1st Lt. Blake Starbuck, a spokesperson for the base, said the pilot ejected and was later recovered. The pilot was en route to a medical facility, Starbuck said.
Boyd said the pilot remained stable after receiving treatment for non-life-threatening injuries. The pilot’s identity had not been publicly released.
No civilian injuries or property damage outside the base were reported. The crash produced no reported fatality.
The aircraft was assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 11, according to Starbuck. The group operates under the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing at Miramar.
Firefighters contained a brush fire near the wreckage
Candace Hadley, a spokesperson for the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department, said city firefighters supported military crews at the scene.
“[Firefighters] were on scene to respond to a vegetation fire that sparked near the crash site.”
The fire covered roughly the size of a football field. Crews reported it as “quickly controlled” and extinguished it within approximately one hour of the crash.
Responders used fire retardant foam on the wreckage. Flight operations at Miramar experienced temporary disruptions while crews handled the scene.
Local video showed firefighters, military vehicles and black smoke rising above scorched ground. The plume could be seen from State Route 52 and prompted numerous calls to the California Highway Patrol.
The crash site sat near the base’s flight line, east of the runways. Reports also placed it near the roads bordering the installation.
The military has opened an inquiry into the crash
A military safety board has been convened to investigate the cause. Preliminary reports suggested the aircraft may have been on final approach when the incident occurred.
Officials had not identified a cause. The Marine Corps said it would provide more information as the situation developed.
A spokesperson for the F-35 Joint Program Office said the office was “committed to ensuring the safety of our warfighters” and would support the Marine Corps investigation.
The investigation follows the destruction of an aircraft assigned to a Marine aviation unit. The classification also reflects the scale of potential damage.
| Measure | Figure or description |
|---|---|
| Aircraft | F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing variant |
| Estimated aircraft cost | Approximately $109 million per unit |
| Class A damage threshold | More than $2.5 million |
| F-35 program projection | $2 trillion in lifecycle costs for nearly 2,500 jets |
The estimated price of the individual fighter is approximately $109 million. The Marine Corps did not release a separate valuation for the aircraft in its initial statement.
The Pentagon’s F-35 program has projected lifecycle costs of $2 trillion for nearly 2,500 jets. That figure covers the wider program rather than this aircraft alone.
Miramar carries a long military aviation history
Miramar has historically been known as “Fightertown USA.” The base was the original home of the Navy’s “Top Gun” school before the program relocated to Nevada in 1996.
The installation also has a recent record of military aviation accidents. In August 2023, Marine pilot Maj. Andrew Mettler died in an F/A-18 Hornet crash near Miramar.
A separate F-35B incident occurred in South Carolina in September 2023 after a pilot ejected and the aircraft continued flying without a pilot. That event involved a different aircraft and location.
In June 2026, a B-52 Stratofortress crashed at Edwards Air Force Base, killing eight. The incident also occurred away from Miramar and involved another aircraft type.
The current crash left wreckage near the base’s operational area while emergency crews controlled the fire. The safety board’s inquiry remains underway, with the pilot’s condition reported as stable and the cause still under examination.
