A US Marine Corps F-35B fighter jet crashed near a military base in San Diego, California, on Friday, while the pilot safely ejected before the aircraft went down.
According to military officials, the incident occurred at around 10:00 a.m. local time in the vicinity of Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Miramar.
“The pilot was ejected and has been recovered,” a spokesperson for the base confirmed.
The pilot was later taken to a medical facility in stable condition for evaluation and treatment of non-life-threatening injuries, according to an official statement from MCAS Miramar.
Videos shared on social media showed thick smoke billowing from the crash site as firefighters responded to extinguish the blaze.
MCAS Miramar, located in San Diego, is widely known as the former home of the US Navy’s elite “Top Gun” fighter pilot school, made famous by the 1986 film Top Gun starring Tom Cruise.
The F-35B is a short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) variant of the fifth-generation stealth fighter jet. According to manufacturer Lockheed Martin, each aircraft is valued at approximately $109 million.
Earlier, an Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft crashed at Roureah Air Force Station in Assam’s Jorhat district, with reports saying that the pilot was killed in the accident.
According to Indian media, the aircraft involved was an AN-32 transport plane that went down while attempting to land at the strategically important airbase in upper Assam. Information regarding other crew members aboard the aircraft was not immediately available.
In a statement, the IAF said a military aircraft crashed during landing at the Jorhat Air Force Station. The aircraft was identified as an AN-32 cargo plane used for transporting supplies. Rescue teams were immediately dispatched to the site, while investigation efforts were launched to determine the cause of the crash.
Roureah Air Force Station is one of the Indian Air Force’s key installations in the northeastern region and plays a significant role in air operations across Assam and nearby areas.
The cause of the accident remains unknown. The AN-32 fleet has been involved in around 22 crashes in India since 1986, with the most recent incident reported in 2025. Despite its accident record, the aircraft continues to serve as one of the IAF’s primary transport platforms for logistics and operational missions.
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