Marine Corps says F-35B stealth fighter crashed in California, pilot ejected

The U.S. Marine Corps said an F-35B stealth fighter crashed near the Miramar Air Base in San Diego on Friday afternoon, and the pilot ejected and was taken to a medical facility. In a statement, the Marines called the event a “Class A mishap,” the most severe category, used when damage exceeds $2 million, a military aircraft is destroyed, or a service member dies. The statement did not provide details on the pilot’s condition beyond confirming the ejection and recovery. Aerial video showed a plume of black smoke rising from wreckage in a dirt field, with multiple military and firefighting vehicles on scene. Firefighters responded to a vegetation fire near the crash site.