An F-35B Lightning II fighter jet from the United States Marine Corps crashed this Friday morning at Miramar Air Station in California, causing a fire in the aircraft and the immediate intervention of emergency services deployed at the military facility.
According to U.S. military authorities, the incident occurred around 10:00 a.m. (local time). At that moment, response teams arrived at the base's runway after receiving the alert about the crash of an F-35B belonging to Marine Aircraft Group 11, a unit integrated into the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.
The pilot, who managed to eject and leave the plane before it hit the ground, was evacuated to a nearby medical center. According to the official statement, he is "in stable condition for the evaluation and treatment of life-threatening injuries."
The Miramar Marine Corps Air Station has added that "more information will be released as it becomes available," while investigations continue to determine the exact causes and circumstances of the accident.