F-35 crashes at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar; pilot ejects
Crews respond to 'aircraft mishap' at San Diego-area base
Emergency crews are responding to what they're describing as an "aircraft mishap" at Miramar Air Base near San Diego.
SAN DIEGO - An F-35 assigned to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing crashed Friday morning at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, triggering an emergency response and sparking a brush fire, military officials told Fox News.
What we know:
Emergency crews responded to what the Marine Corps described as an "aircraft mishap" on the flight line shortly after 10 a.m. local time. The incident involved an F-35 assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 11 and based at MCAS Miramar, according to 1st Lt. Blake Starbuck.
What they're saying:
The U.S. Marine Corps told Fox News the incident was a "Class A mishap involving a Marine Corps F-35B in the vicinity of MCAS Miramar." The pilot safely ejected from the aircraft and was recovered.
What we don't know:
Starbuck said officials did not immediately know the purpose of the flight, whether the aircraft was taking off or landing, whether it was on a training mission, or whether anyone was injured or killed.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
Dig deeper:
Video from SkyRanger 7 showed the aircraft split into two sections within a football field-sized burn area. Flames were visible in a field north of State Route 52, where smoke could be seen from the freeway, prompting calls to the California Highway Patrol.
The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department told Fox News it was assisting with the brush fire, but said the military has jurisdiction over the crash scene.
Officials have not scheduled a news conference and said additional information will be released as it becomes available.
The Source: FOX News contributed to this report. This story was reported from Los Angeles.