On Friday, July 31, 2026, the sky over California took on ominous tones. A serious aviation accident occurred at one of the key US Marine Corps airbases, "Miramar" (MCAS Miramar). The newest fifth-generation fighter jet, the F-35B Lightning II, was destroyed by fire due to a critical malfunction.
The incident, classified by the Pentagon as "Class A" severity, occurred around 10:00 local time. The aircraft, assigned to the 11th Marine Aircraft Group of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, was on final approach when a fatal failure occurred on board. The pilot decided to steer the emergency aircraft to an uninhabited area of the base to the east of the runways — in the area of the intersection of Kearny Villa Road and Johnson — and ejected.
Witnesses on the nearby I-15 highway saw an instant flash followed by a powerful explosion. A thick column of black smoke rising into the sky was visible from most areas of San Diego. Firefighting teams from Miramar Air Base, together with civil defense services, fought a fire in dry grass covering an area of about two acres, ignited by a spill of aviation fuel.
Fortunately, the pilot managed to eject and was promptly evacuated by rescue services. Representatives of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing confirmed that the pilot is under the observation of military medics and his life is not in danger.
Budget blow: the cost of error
The disaster dealt a colossal financial blow to the US defense budget. The lost aircraft was an F-35B modification — the short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) version used by the Marine Corps. This is the most technically complex modification in the family, equipped with a Rolls-Royce lift fan.
The cost of a single F-35 unit varies depending on the modification and the volume of service contracts. According to military analysts, the net cost of the machine that burned in Miramar is estimated to be in the range of $82.5 million to $109 million. For comparison, the basic F-35A version costs about $82.5 million, while the more complex F-35B and carrier-based F-35C versions cost the Pentagon about $100–109 million each.
Second incident in two days
The accident in Miramar provoked a harsh reaction from the House Armed Services Committee of the US Congress. The situation is exacerbated by the fact that this is already the second crash of an aircraft of this family in the state of California in the last 48 hours. The day before, a similar F-35 fighter crashed in the area of the "Lemoore" Naval Air Station (NAS Lemoore), where the pilot also survived.
Pentagon representatives have already announced the formation of a special investigative commission to investigate the causes of the accident. In expert circles, there are calls to temporarily suspend flights of certain F-35 series. Experts recommend conducting a thorough inspection of fuel systems and updated Pratt & Whitney engine software, considering the colossal load on aviation due to the ongoing US conflict in the Middle East.
