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Crews respond to 'aircraft mishap' at San Diego-area base
Emergency crews are responding to what they're describing as an "aircraft mishap" at Miramar Air Base near San Diego.
SAN DIEGO - The U.S. Marine Corps says the pilot of an F-35B stealth fighter is expected to survive after ejecting before the aircraft crashed in California.
Dig deeper:
The jet went down Friday near the Miramar air base in San Diego. A Marines statement called it a "Class A mishap." A single F-35B fighter jet costs about $109 million.
What they're saying:
"The pilot ejected, was transported to a local medical facility in stable condition for evaluation and treatment of non-life-threatening injuries," 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.
Local perspective:
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.
Big picture view:
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 "B" 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 "Top Gun" movie, and was known as "Fightertown USA" 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.
The Source: The Associated Press contributed to this report. This story was reported from Los Angeles.