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Military F-35B fighter jet crashes and burns at California Marine Corps base
CNN • • nation
Key Points:
- An F-35B Lightning II fighter jet crashed and caught fire near Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in California shortly before 10 a.m. PT on Friday, with smoke visible from miles away.
- The single-seat aircraft went down just short of the runway; the pilot successfully ejected and was recovered, then transported to a medical facility.
- Fire crews extinguished the blaze on the wreckage and surrounding grass fire, with the crash cause still under investigation by military authorities.
- The F-35B is a stealth fighter capable of conventional and vertical landings, operated by the US Marines and allied forces, and costs approximately $102 million per jet.
- Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego hosts about 15,000 military personnel from various branches.
