By Konstantin Toropin
The Associated Press
July 31, 2026 - 12:18 pm
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Marine Corps says the aviator of an F-35B stealth combatant ejected earlier the pitchy crashed successful California, and was taken to a aesculapian facility.
The pitchy went down Friday day adjacent the Miramar aerial basal successful San Diego. A Marines connection called it a “Class A mishap.” That’s the astir terrible mishap category, utilized erstwhile the harm totals much than $2 million, an craft is destroyed oregon a work subordinate killed.
A azygous F-35B combatant pitchy costs astir $109 million. The connection did not see immoderate details astir the information of the pilot, different than to accidental they ejected, were recovered and were being taken to a aesculapian facility.
Aerial video from a quality chopper showed a plume of achromatic fume rising from the wreckage successful a ungraded field, with aggregate subject and firefighting vehicles and radical lasting nearby. What appeared to beryllium achromatic occurrence retardant covered the ground, and astatine slightest 1 idiosyncratic was spraying the wreckage with a occurrence hose.
Candace Hadley, a spokesperson for San Diego Fire, said firefighters were connected country to respond to a vegetation occurrence that sparked adjacent the clang site. She referred further questions to Miramar.
The F-35B is 1 of respective versions of the precocious stealth combatant pitchy that is flown by the Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force. The “B” mentation has an motor that is designed for abbreviated takeoffs and is susceptible of vertical landings.
English (US)·