Marine Corps F-35 Stealth Fighter Goes Down Near San Diego Base; Pilot Ejects Safely

A U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II fifth-generation stealth fighter crashed near Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, California, marking the 14th hull-loss crash of the type since it entered service. The pilot ejected and remains in stable condition with non-life-threatening injuries.

The incident occurred around 10:00 a.m. local time on the flight line at MCAS Miramar. Witnesses reported the jet appearing to slow or attempt a hover-like maneuver at low altitude before the pilot ejected from roughly 100 feet. The aircraft then impacted the ground, sparking a small brush fire that emergency crews quickly contained. Aerial footage showed thick black smoke rising from the wreckage in a dirt field as military and firefighting vehicles responded.

Marine Corps officials classified the event as a Class A mishap, the most serious category, applied when an aircraft is destroyed, damage exceeds $2 million, or a service member is killed. The pilot, assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, was recovered and transported to a local medical facility for evaluation and treatment. No other injuries were reported. The cause remains under investigation, with no details released on the specific squadron, serial number, mission, or phase of flight.

This is the latest in a series of accidents involving the F-35 fleet. According to compiled data, 14 F-35s have been destroyed in crashes since the first loss in September 2018 near MCAS Beaufort, South Carolina. Using a broader definition of permanent removals from service, the total reaches 18 when including serious non-crash incidents such as fires and a bird-strike belly landing. The sole fatal crash remains the April 2019 loss of a Japanese Air Self-Defense Force F-35A over the Pacific. In all other cases, pilots ejected successfully, though some sustained injuries.

Recent prior losses include a U.S. Air Force F-35A that crashed during a training mission over the Nevada Test and Training Range on March 31, 2026 (pilot ejected with minor injuries); a U.S. Navy F-35C near Naval Air Station Lemoore, California, on July 30, 2025; and an F-35A at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, on January 28, 2025, later attributed to water-contaminated hydraulic fluid that froze in extreme cold.

The F-35 program, developed by Lockheed Martin, remains the backbone of U.S. and allied fifth-generation air power, with variants operated by the Air Force (F-35A), Marine Corps (F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing), and Navy (F-35C carrier-capable). A single F-35B is valued at approximately $109 million. Officials have previously noted that the overall mishap rate for the F-35 has been lower than that of earlier fighter generations during comparable early service periods, though each loss renews public and congressional scrutiny of the aircraft’s reliability, maintenance costs, and safety record.

Investigators from the Marine Corps and relevant safety boards are examining the Miramar wreckage and flight data.