An F-35 fighter jet crashed at a U.S. air base in San Diego
An American F-35B fighter jet crashed at Miramar Air Force Base in San Diego, California, on the morning of August 1, local time. The crash sparked a fire, but the pilot successfully ejected.
According to a base spokesperson, the F-35B, which belongs to the 3rd Aviation Wing of the 11th Aviation Group of the U.S. Marine Corps, crashed on the grounds of Miramar Air Station.
After the crash, a fire broke out on the ground within the military facility.
Footage released shows the charred fighter jet, shrouded in thick smoke, as well as the scorched area around it.
The military pilot managed to eject before the plane crashed. He was taken to a medical facility for examination and treatment.
According to preliminary reports, the injuries are not life-threatening, and medical personnel assess the pilot’s condition as stable.
The cause of the accident is currently under investigation.
JUST IN: An F-35 caught fire after an incident at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego on Friday morning. Emergency crews responded to heavy smoke around 10 a.m. Cause under investigation.
- FOX 5 pic.twitter.com/oDthXqbQRf— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) July 31, 2026
The U.S. Marine Corps reported that the accident has been classified as a “Class A incident”—the highest category of emergencies within U.S. military and federal agencies.
The F-35B is a single-seat, fifth-generation stealth fighter capable of short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL).
Key specifications of the aircraft:
- maximum speed—up to 1,930 km/h;
- “stealth” technology, which reduces radar detectability;
- used by the U.S. Marine Corps to carry out combat, reconnaissance, and defense missions.
According to the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, the cost of a single F-35B, including spare parts and maintenance, is approximately $135.8 million.
The U.S. Marine Corps’ 11th Air Wing performs air support, air defense, and reconnaissance missions, as well as training Marine Corps and U.S. Navy pilots.
This was reported by NBC News.
As a reminder, on July 29, 2026, contact was lost with an F-16 fighter jet of the Ukrainian Air Force. The pilot was carrying out a combat mission to intercept enemy air targets in one of the frontline sectors.
On June 16, a Su-24M frontline bomber of the Ukrainian Air Force crashed in the Khmelnytskyi region near the city of Shepetivka.
