Daijiworld Media Network - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, Aug 1: An F-35B fighter jet of the US Marine Corps crashed near the Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Miramar in San Diego, California, on Friday, with the pilot ejecting safely before the aircraft went down, officials said.

The crash occurred at around 10 am local time, prompting an emergency response from military and rescue personnel.

"We can confirm a mishap involving a Marine Corps F-35B in the vicinity of MCAS Miramar. The pilot ejected, was recovered and is en route to a medical facility," a spokesperson for the base said in a statement.

According to media reports, the aircraft was assigned to the 3rd Marine Air Wing, Marine Air Group 11. The cause of the crash is under investigation.

The F-35B is the US Marine Corps' short take-off and vertical landing variant of the fifth-generation fighter aircraft.

MCAS Miramar is one of the US military's major air bases and is home to around 15,000 service personnel from different branches of the armed forces.

The incident is the latest in a series of military aircraft crashes in the United States this year.

In June, an F/A-18 Hornet fighter jet crashed during a routine training mission near Rimrock Lake in Washington state, sparking a wildfire in the surrounding forested area. The pilot ejected safely and sustained minor injuries. The aircraft was also assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, based at MCAS Miramar.

Earlier in May, a US Air Force T-38 Talon II training aircraft crashed in Fayette County, Alabama. Both pilots ejected safely before the crash. Military authorities later said the cause of the accident was unknown, and an investigation was launched by the Air Force Safety Investigation Board.