US Marine Corps F-35B crashes at Miramar, pilot ejects safely
On July 31 2026 at about 10 a.m. local time, a United States Marine Corps F‑35B Lightning II crashed near the flight line of Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, California. The aircraft was assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.
The pilot ejected moments before impact, was recovered by emergency crews and taken to a local medical facility with non‑life‑threatening injuries. The jet was destroyed, igniting a brush fire that was quickly contained by the San Diego Fire‑Rescue Department.
U.S. Marine Corps officials classified the incident as a Class A mishap, the highest aviation‑accident category, and launched an investigation into the cause, which remains unknown. The aircraft’s estimated value is about $109 million.
Entities: F-35B Lightning II · First Lieutenant Blake Starbuck · F‑35B Lightning II · Lockheed Martin · Marine Corps Air Station Miramar · San Diego · United States Marine Corps
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 5 SOURCES] The aircraft was assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. (existing)
- [● 6 SOURCES] The cause of the crash is under investigation by military authorities. (existing)
- [● 6 SOURCES] The crash caused a brush fire that was responded to by San Diego Fire‑Rescue Department. (existing)
- [● 6 SOURCES] The aircraft was valued at approximately $109 million. (existing)
- [● 6 SOURCES] The incident was classified as a Class A mishap. (existing)
- [● 10 SOURCES] The pilot ejected safely and was recovered with non‑life‑threatening injuries. (existing)
- [● 17 SOURCES] The crash occurred at about 10:00 a.m. local time on the flight line. (existing)
- [● 17 SOURCES] A US Marine Corps F-35B crashed near Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego on July 31, 2026. (new)