A US Marine Corps F-35B stealth fighter crashed near San Diego on Friday, but the pilot escaped with non-life-threatening injuries, according to official statements. The incident, which unfolded near the Miramar airbase, triggered a vegetation fire and drew a large emergency response. Aerial footage captured thick black smoke rising from a dirt field, with firefighting crews dousing the wreckage. Main Developments The Marine Corps confirmed the pilot ejected safely and was transported to a local medical facility in stable condition for evaluation and treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. San Diego Fire spokesperson Candace Hadley said firefighters responded to a vegetation fire sparked near the crash site, but referred further questions to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. Video from a news helicopter showed multiple military and firefighting vehicles at the scene, with what appeared to be white flame retardant covering the ground. At least one person was seen spraying the wreckage with a fire hose as smoke billowed from the damaged jet. Read also: Trump Announces Hamas Disarmament Deal, Conditional on Israeli Compliance Background Miramar, now a Marine Corps air station, once hosted the Navy fighter pilot training school made famous by the original Top Gun movie and was nicknamed “Fightertown USA.” That school relocated to Naval Air Station Fallon in Nevada in 1996 after the base transferred to the Marine Corps. The F-35B is a variant designed for short takeoffs and vertical landings, with a single jet costing about $109 million. The US Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force operate more than 630 F-35s, according to a 2024 Government Accountability Office analysis. That report projected the overall F-35 programme would cost roughly $2 trillion after the military acquires more than 1,800 additional jets and operates them for decades. Why It Matters This crash adds to a troubling pattern of military aviation incidents in the United States this year. The Flight Safety Foundation’s Aviation Safety Network database lists at least seven other military aircraft crashes in 2026, including a B-52 bomber that went down in California’s Mojave Desert in June, killing all eight people on board. Each F-35 loss represents a significant financial and operational setback, given the aircraft’s cost and the programme’s long-term budget implications. The incident also raises questions about the safety of the F-35B’s unique vertical landing system, which has been a focus of past scrutiny. What's Next Military investigators will likely examine the crash site and the recovered flight data to determine the cause. San Diego Fire crews will continue monitoring the vegetation fire for any flare-ups. Additional details about the pilot’s condition and the aircraft’s final flight path may emerge in official statements from the Marine Corps.