A US Marine Corps F-35B fighter jet has crashed and caught fire in a serious blaze at a military base in the US state of California. The pilot, however, managed to eject safely with an emergency parachute just before the aircraft slammed into the ground.
The accident happened shortly before 10 am local time on Friday at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego.
A statement from the Marine Aircraft Wing said the single-seat F-35B Lightning II jet lost control and crashed just moments before landing on the base runway. The aircraft caught fire, sending a plume of smoke into the sky that was visible from several miles away.
According to military authorities, the pilot managed to eject at the moment of the crash. A rescue team later took the pilot to a local medical facility.
Doctors said the injuries were not serious and that the pilot is now out of danger and in stable condition.
In audio recorded by the air traffic control tower at the time of the accident, emergency services were told: “The F-35 has crashed near the runway. The pilot has ejected successfully and the parachute has been seen to deploy.”
Immediately after the crash, the airport fire service used foam and spray to bring the burning wreckage under control. Fire that had spread to the grass around the aircraft was also quickly put out.
The exact cause of the crash was not immediately confirmed. While the National Transportation Safety Board usually investigates civil aviation accidents, the US military has formed its own investigation committee to determine the cause of this military crash.
The world’s most expensive fighter jet
According to the manufacturer, the F-35B Lightning II — more than 50 feet long — is regarded as one of the world’s most advanced and powerful “stealth” (radar-evading) fighter jets. The aircraft can use a normal runway like a conventional plane and can also take off and land vertically like a helicopter.
Each F-35B costs about $102 million to build. Besides the US Marine Corps, the air forces of the United Kingdom and Italy operate this particular model.
The Miramar base where the accident occurred employs about 15,000 US armed forces personnel.
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