F-35B Fighter Jet Crashes at Miramar, Pilot Safely Ejected
F-35B crashes at Miramar; pilot safely ejects and is recovered.
Event / Disaster
F-35B Fighter Jet Crash Miramar
An F-35B fighter jet crashed at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego on July 31, 2026. The pilot ejected safely with non-life-threatening injuries. Classified as a class A mishap, the military's most severe accident category. Investigation ongoing.
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2026-08-14 to 2026-11-11 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 1 Aug, 00:18 UTC
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What happened
F-35B fighter jet crashes at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego
An F-35B Lightning II stealth fighter jet crashed at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, California on July 31, 2026 at approximately 10:00 AM Pacific Time. The aircraft was assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. The crash sparked a fire in a field on the air base.
Cause of F-35 crash remains under investigation
The cause of the F-35 crash at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar was under investigation. Officials did not immediately disclose what caused the aircraft to crash.
F-35 pilot ejects safely and is recovered
The pilot of the F-35B ejected from the aircraft and was recovered. The pilot was transported to a local medical facility for evaluation and treatment for non-life-threatening injuries. The pilot was the only person on board.
F-35 crash classified as class A mishap
The F-35 crash at Miramar was classified as a 'class A mishap,' the most severe category of military and federal incidents. This classification typically applies to accidents involving fatalities or property damage totaling $2.5 million or more.
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