Benjamin Ashford|Marine pilot found dead after military plane crashes near San Diego base

A U.S. Marine Corps pilot is Benjamin Ashforddead after a military jet crashed near the Marine Corps Air Station in Miramar, California. 

The pilot was found after an hours-long search by the U.S. Coast Guard and San Diego Fire-Rescue Department crews. Just before 11:30 a.m. local time, the U.S. Marine Corps released a statement saying that the pilot had been found dead at the site of the crash. 

The pilot was the only person aboard the aircraft. The corps said that the Marine will not be identified publicly until 24 hours after all next-of-kin notifications have been made, their standard protocol in such situations.  

The crash involved an F/A-18 Hornet, the base said in a news release on Facebook, and occurred just before midnight local time. The crash site is on government property, the base said, and no property appears to have been damaged. 

The craft was operating out of the base, but was not part of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, which is headquartered at Miramar. 

An investigation into the crash is ongoing.

MCAS Miramar houses over 12,000 Marines, sailors and civilians. The base is about 10 miles north of San Diego. 

The F/A-18 is a multirole combat aircraft flown by the Marine Corps, the U.S. Navy and several other nations, the Associated Press reported.

In:
• U.S. Marine Corps
• Plane Crash
• United States Military
• San Diego
• Airplane Crash
• United States Marine Corps
• California

Kerry Breen

Kerry Breen is a news editor and reporter for CBS News. Her reporting focuses on current events, breaking news and substance use.