Pilot killed in US military jet crash in San Diego

A pilot was killed when a US fighter plane crashed near a military installation in California, according to the US Marine Corps.

The F/A-18 Hornet jet crashed just before midnight local time near Marine Corps Air Station Miramar on Thursday, about, 24km from the centre of San Diego.

The body of the pilot, who has not been recognised, was discovered by search crews.

The incident is being investigated by the Marine Corps.

“The pilot was the only person aboard the aircraft,” Marine Corps Air Station, MCAS Miramar said in a statement. “With a heavy heart, our condolences go to the Marine’s family during this time.”

MCAS Miramar said the crash site was on government property located just east of the base.

There were no indications of damage to property on the ground, the MCAS said.

Meanwhile, the aircraft that crashed belonged to Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 224, a South Carolina-based unit known as the “Fighting Bengals.”

At the time of the incident, however, it was operating from Miramar.

F/A-18 Hornet jets used both by the Marine Corps and the US Navy are all-weather fighter and attack aircraft.

While crashes involving military fighter jets are uncommon, they do occur on a regular basis.

An F/A-18 from the same unit crashed into a swampy location in Georgia in 2015 while conducting low-altitude training. Both the pilot and a weapons systems officer ejected and received minor injuries.

In another incident in 2012, a Navy F/A-18 fighter jet collided with an apartment complex in Virginia Beach, wounding seven people.