An F-35 fighter jet crashed near the Miramar Air Base in San Diego, California, on Friday morning, according to reports. The incident occurred around 10 a.m. Pacific time.
The pilot successfully ejected from the aircraft and has been recovered, the Marine Corps confirmed to 10 News. Information regarding the pilot's injuries, if any, was not immediately available.
Emergency responders were on the scene, with eyewitnesses reporting thick plumes of black smoke rising from the crash site. The cause of the crash is currently unknown.
Miramar Air Base is famously known as the original "Top Gun" base, a setting popularized by the iconic 1986 film. The F-35 Lightning II is a fifth-generation stealth fighter developed by Lockheed Martin, designed to evade radar detection through its specialized shape and radar-absorbent materials, and by carrying weapons internally.