F-35 fighter jet crashes at San Diego base, pilot ejects safely

An F-35 fighter jet crashed on the grounds of Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego on Friday, July 31, 2026, prompting a swift response from emergency crews. The pilot successfully ejected from the aircraft before impact and was subsequently transported to a medical facility for assessment. The crash resulted in a small fire, which was actively being addressed by responders on the scene.

Aerial footage and social media videos showed a plume of black smoke rising from the aircraft after the crash, with emergency personnel seen spraying fire retardant onto the smoking jet. Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, located approximately 10 miles north of San Diego, serves as the headquarters for the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing and is home to over 15,000 Marines, sailors, and civilians.

This incident adds to a history of F-35 crashes and ejections in recent years. In 2023, a Marine Corps pilot died after ejecting from an F/A-18 Hornet near the base. More recently, in July 2025, a pilot ejected safely from an F-35 near Fresno County after a crash that caused a small grass fire. In January 2025, an Air Force pilot ejected during an "in-flight emergency" while flying an F-35 over Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska, with the jet exploding upon impact. Another incident in 2024 involved a Marine Corps pilot ejecting from an F-35 after experiencing technical malfunctions during a storm; the jet flew autonomously for over 11 minutes before crashing, and an investigation later found the pilot had acted improperly by ejecting.