Stealth Fighter Crashes After Pilot Ejects: Marine Corps

The Marine Corps said Friday that the pilot of an F-35B stealth fighter is expected to survive after ejecting from the jet before it crashed in California. The jet went down near the Miramar air base in San Diego, the AP reports. A Marines statement called it a "Class A mishap"; a single F-35B fighter jet costs about $109 million. "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 a 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 battling a vegetation fire that sparked near the crash site. The F-35B is one of several versions of the advanced stealth fighter jet 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.