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A F-35B fighter jet was involved in the military’s most severe type of aviation mishap near Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in Southern California on Friday morning, according to the Marine Corps.

“We can confirm a Class A mishap involving a Marine Corps F-35B in the vicinity of [Marine Corps Air Station] Miramar,” the Marine Corps said in a statement. “The pilot ejected and has been recovered. More information will be available as the situation develops.” 

The Marine Corps added that the pilot is enroute to a medical facility.

The Marine Corps did not immediately identify what unit the aircraft was assigned to. Marine Corps spokesman Capt. Jacob Sugg confirmed to Task & Purpose that the pilot is safe.

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Local media in San Diego reported smoke rising near Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, with aerial footage purportedly showing the plane on a burnt field just outside the base.

According to the military, a Class A mishap involves either a loss of life or damage to equipment greater than $2.5 million. 

The mishap is the latest in a series of stateside aviation incidents in recent months. In May, two Navy E/A-18G Growlers collided during an airshow in Idaho; all four crew members safely ejected. In June, a Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet from Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing crashed near Mount Rainier in Washington state. On June 15, an Air Force B-52 Stratofortress crashed shortly after takeoff from Edwards Air Force Base in California, killing all eight people on board.

This is a developing story.

 

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Jeff Schogol is the senior Pentagon reporter for Task & Purpose. He has covered the military for nearly 20 years. Email him at schogol@taskandpurpose.com or direct message @JSchogol73030 on Twitter.

Nicholas Slayton is a Contributing Editor for Task & Purpose. In addition to covering breaking news, he writes about history, shipwrecks, and the military’s hunt for unidentified anomalous phenomenon (formerly known as UFOs).