A US Marine Corps F-35B stealth fighter jet crashed near Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, California, on July 31, 2026, at about 10:00 a.m. local time during its approach to landing [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8].
The pilot ejected safely shortly before impact. A base spokesperson said, "The pilot was ejected and has been recovered. The pilot has been transported to a medical facility in stable condition for evaluation and treatment of non-life-threatening injuries" [4].
Witness Wade Lott, a truck driver near the crash site, described seeing the plane slow and the pilot ejecting when the jet was about 30 meters from the ground [8].
The crashed F-35B was completely destroyed, burning and producing thick black smoke [1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8]. The incident was classified as an "A-class mishap" due to the total loss of the aircraft and its high financial cost [8]. Each F-35B costs approximately $100 million to $109 million [2, 4, 5, 8].
The F-35B is a variant of the stealth F-35 designed for short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL). It is operated by the US Marine Corps, the UK, and Italy [2, 4, 8].
No other injuries or damage beyond the pilot have been reported [1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8]. Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, known historically as the "Top Gun" school for elite pilot training, was the site of the crash [1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8].
Military authorities are investigating the cause of the crash. No official cause has been released at this time [2, 8].
