An F-35 fighter jet crashed at a Marine Corps base in San Diego on Friday, sparking a small fire. A Marine Corps spokesperson said the pilot ejected, was recovered, and is being transported to a medical facility. An aerial photo shows the smoking aircraft on the ground in what appeared to be an open field at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar.
Another image shows multiple vehicles and multiple responders on the scene. The hatch of the plane appears to be open. Footage taken by CBS affiliate KFMB-TV's helicopter shows responders working to put out the fire.
The CBS News Confirmed team was able to verify social media videos that showed a plume of black smoke emitting from the plane as responders spray it with fire retardant. Marine Corps Air Station Miramar is about 10 miles north of San Diego. The base is home to over 15,000 Marines, sailors and civilians, and is the headquarters of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.
In 2023, a Marine Corps pilot died after ejecting from his jet near the base. The pilot was the only person aboard the F/A-18 Hornet. The craft crashed on government property just before midnight local time, officials said at the time, and the pilot was found dead after an hourslong search by the U.S.
Coast Guard and San Diego Fire-Rescue Department. The pilot was later identified as Maj. Andrew Mettler.
F-35s are used by the Air Force, the Navy and the Marines. Each jet costs about $100 million. Other crashes involving the planes have made headlines in recent years.
A pilot ejected from his fighter jet in California's Fresno County in July 2025. The crash caused a small grass fire, but the pilot was safely recovered. In January 2025, an Air Force pilot experienced an "in-flight emergency" while flying an F-35 craft during a training mission at the Eielson Air Force base in Alaska.
Video reviewed by CBS News showed the plane twirling toward the ground , then exploding upon impact. The pilot was able to eject and parachute safely to the ground. In 2024, a Marine Corps pilot ejected from an F-35 after experiencing a series of technical malfunctions during a heavy rainstorm.
The plane continued to fly by itself for over 11 minutes, covering about 70 miles, before crashing and causing damage to some private land. The pilot landed safely in a driveway and called 911 . The crash site was found one day later.
An investigation found the pilot had acted improperly by ejecting. Eleanor Watson contributed to this report.
