F-35 fighter jet crashes in San Diego and sparks fire on Miramar air base

U.S. newsF-35 fighter jet crashes in San Diego and sparks fire on Miramar air base The piloted ejected and has been recovered, according to a spokesperson for the Marine Corps. It is unclear if the pilot was injured.Listen to this article with a free profile00:0000:00Firefighters respond at the site of a fighter jet crash Friday in San Diego.KSNDShareAdd NBC News to GoogleJuly 31, 2026, 2:51 PM EDTBy Matt Lavietes and Mosheh GainsA fighter crashed in San Diego on Friday after suffering a “class A mishap,” according to officials. The F-35 assigned to 3rd Marine Aircraft Group 11 crashed at the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar at around 10 a.m. Pacific Time, a spokesperson for MCAS Miramar said in a statement. The crash sparked a fire in a field on base, according to the military base spokesperson.Images of the crash show what appears to be the charred F-35 surrounded by smoke and burned grass.A spokesperson for Marine Corps. confirmed the crash and described it in a statement as “class A mishap,” the most severe category of military and federal incidents.The spokesperson said that the pilot ejected and has been recovered, and that more information will be released “when available.” The spokesperson did not indicate if the pilot was injured and said they were the only person on board.It is unclear what caused the crash.This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.ShareAdd NBC News to GoogleMatt LavietesI’m a reporter on NBC News’ breaking news team, covering crime, extreme weather, pop culture and more. I recently covered Hurricane Milton, which devastated the Tampa, Florida, metropolitan area, and the student-led protests at Columbia University.Mosheh GainsI am NBC News’ producer & off-air reporter covering stories about and related to the Defense Department around the world.