WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� The U.S. Marine Corps says the pilot of an F-35B stealth fighter is expected to live after ejecting from the jet before it crashed in California.
The jet went down Friday near the Miramar air base in San Diego. A Marines statement called it a 鈥淐lass A mishap.鈥� A single F-35B fighter jet costs about $109 million.
鈥淭he pilot ejected, was transported to a local medical facility in stable condition for evaluation and treatment of non-life-threatening injuries,鈥� the Marine Corps said in an updated statement.
Aerial video from a news helicopter showed a plume of black smoke rising from the wreckage in a dirt field, with multiple military and firefighting vehicles and people standing nearby. What appeared to be white flame retardant covered the ground, and at least one person was spraying the wreckage with a fire hose.
Candace Hadley, a spokesperson for San Diego Fire, said firefighters were on scene to respond to a vegetation fire that sparked near the crash site. She referred additional questions to Miramar.
The F-35B is one of several versions of the advanced stealth fighter jet that is flown by the Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force. The 鈥淏鈥� version has an engine that is designed for short takeoffs and is capable of vertical landings.
Marine Corps Air Station Miramar used to host the Navy fighter pilot training school depicted in the original 鈥淭op Gun鈥� movie, and was known as 鈥淔ightertown USA鈥� in its heyday. The school was relocated to Naval Air Station Fallon in Nevada in 1996 after the base was transferred to the Marine Corps.
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