Search-and-rescue operations are underway after a combat jet crashed near the Marine Corps Air Station in Miramar, California, according to a Marine press release.
The jet, an F/A-18 Hornet crashed late Thursday night near Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) in Miramar, located roughly 14 miles north of San Diego, per a base press release.
The fighter jet crashed at 11:54 p.m. PST, landing on government property east of MCAS. It did not appear to damage any property on the ground, according to the release.
Combat jet crashes near Marine Corps air station in San Diego, search underway https://t.co/XjBs50xOxJ pic.twitter.com/9qRpCYWQMm
— WFLA NEWS (@WFLA) August 25, 2023
The jet was not part of the 3rd wing Marine Aircraft Wing fleet that is headquartered out of MCAS, but it was operating out of their base, according to the press release.
“Search and rescue actions are ongoing. An investigation has begun,” said the Marines. “We will provide more information as it becomes available,” the report concluded.
The Boeing-made Hornet is the “workhorse” of the Marine Corps fleet, though they do plan to sunset the legendary craft as the military seeks to upgrade fleets by the end of the decade. (RELATED: Ukraine Sets Sights On Western Fighter Jets Immediately After Securing Tanks)
Miramar, now home to the Marines, was once the home base of the Navy and their Naval Air Station (NAS.) It was here, in 1969, that the iconic United States Naval Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor (SFTI) program, more affectionately known as “Top Gun,” was born.
Though NAS and Top Gun have since been relocated to Nevada, the iconic Tom Cruise blockbuster to which Top Gun lent its name cemented Miramar’s place in American culture and history.
The Marines ask anybody with more information to contact the MCAS Miramar Communication Strategy and Operations office at 858.307.6000 or miramarmedia@usmc.mil.