F-35 Crash at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar Sparks Fire

An F-35 belonging to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing crashed at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego on Friday morning. The crash triggered an emergency response and caused a brush fire, according to a base spokesperson.

Emergency teams responded to an ‘aircraft mishap’ on the flight line around 10 a.m. local time. The F-35, part of Marine Aircraft Group 11, was involved in the incident, stated 1st Lt. Blake Starbuck. The aircraft was stationed at MCAS Miramar.

The U.S. Marines classified the incident as a ‘Class A mishap’ involving an F-35B near MCAS Miramar. The pilot ejected safely and was recovered. Starbuck did not provide details on the flight’s purpose, whether the aircraft was taking off or landing, or if the mission was a training exercise. Information on injuries or fatalities was not available.

The crash resulted in a fire in a field north of State Route 52, visible from the nearby freeway. The fire scorched an area the size of a football field. Video footage from SkyRanger 7 showed the aircraft in two pieces amid the burnt field. The fire prompted calls to the California Highway Patrol, and the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department confirmed its assistance in battling the brush fire, although the military holds jurisdiction over the incident.

No press conference has been announced. Officials will release further details as they are available.

Brittany Miller, a Fox News Digital breaking news writer, contributed to this report. She is a former Independent reporter and a 2023 graduate of Syracuse University.