Miramar Crash: Marine Corps F-35B Fighter Jet Goes Down Near San Diego Runway After 'Mishap'

SAN DIEGO, California — A fifth-generation U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II stealth fighter jet crashed on the flight line near a runway at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Miramar on Friday morning, July 31, 2026 military officials confirmed. The pilot managed to eject shortly before the high-performance aircraft hit the ground and exploded.

The incident occurred at approximately 10:00 a.m. local time. The Marine Corps has formally classified the crash as a "Class A mishap," which denotes the military's most severe category of aviation accidents—typically triggered by an aircraft being destroyed, a fatality, or property damage exceeding $2 million.

According to a statement released by the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, the sole pilot on board successfully ejected from the aircraft before impact. First Lieutenant Blake Starbuck confirmed that the aviator was recovered and quickly transported to a local regional hospital.

Hospital officials reported that the pilot is in stable condition and undergoing evaluation for non-life-threatening injuries.

Wade Lott, a civilian eyewitness who was driving near the flightline when the crash occurred, described the terrifying final seconds of the flight. Lott noted that two jets appeared to be descending toward the runway together. While the first jet landed smoothly, the second aircraft suddenly began to slow down dramatically, appearing as if it were trying to transition into a hover.

"When the jet was about 100 feet above the ground, the pilot ejected and their parachute deployed," Lott recounted. "The jet hit the ground right next to another plane. It plowed into the runway and just blew up."

Aerial footage captured by local news helicopters revealed the aftermath of the crash, showing the multi-million-dollar stealth fighter split into at least two large sections in the center of a scorched dirt field roughly the size of a football field.

The explosive impact and subsequent fuel burn ignited a fast-moving vegetation fire on the base. Thick columns of black smoke rose high into the air, making the crash site clearly visible to motorists on the nearby State Route 52 freeway.

The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department rushed to the scene to assist military crews in containing the brush fire. Firefighters doused the flaming wreckage with water and white chemical flame retardants, successfully bringing the secondary blaze under control by early afternoon.

The downed F-35B was assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 11 (MAG-11), a component of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing headquartered at Miramar. The F-35B variant is highly prized for its complex short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) capabilities, commonly deployed from aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships.

Military investigators have taken full control of the crash site to secure the wreckage and retrieve flight data recorders. Officials stated it is still too early to determine the exact cause of the mishap. The investigation will focus heavily on whether the crash was precipitated by a sudden mechanical failure, software issues, or human error during the landing sequence.