World
Pilot escapes death as US fighter jet crashes near California
A United States Marine Corps F-35B fighter jet crashed near Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego on Friday morning, with the pilot escaping safely after ejecting before the aircraft hit the ground.
According to officials, the crash occurred at about 10:00 a.m. local time (1700 GMT) in the vicinity of the military installation.
A spokesperson for Marine Corps Air Station Miramar confirmed that the incident involved a Marine Corps F-35B aircraft, describing it as an aviation mishap. The pilot successfully ejected and survived the crash.
“The pilot was ejected and has been recovered.”
A later statement from the military base said the pilot had been transported to a medical facility “in stable condition for evaluation and treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.”
Footage circulated on social media showing a plume of smoke rising from the aircraft, as firefighters were deployed to douse the flames.
MCAS Miramar is known around the world as the one-time home of the US Navy’s “Top Gun” school for elite pilots, immortalized in the 1986 film “Top Gun” starring Tom Cruise.
Each F-35B, the variant of the stealth fighter jet with vertical takeoff and landing capability, costs about $109 million, according to maker Lockheed Martin.

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