An F-35B stealth fighter crashed Friday morning near Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, California. The pilot ejected before impact and was taken to a local medical facility in stable condition with non-life-threatening injuries, officials said.
The incident, which occurred around 10 a.m. local time, was classified as a Class A mishap — the military's designation for the most serious accidents. Firefighters responded to a vegetation fire near the crash site, according to San Diego Fire spokesperson Candace Hadley. Early images showed a column of smoke rising from the burning wreckage.
A single F-35B costs roughly $109 million. The US armed forces operate more than 630 F-35s across the Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force. At least seven other military aircraft mishaps have occurred in the United States this year, according to the Flight Safety Foundation's Aviation Safety Network database.