Pilot killed in F-18 military jet crash near Marine Corps base in San Diego

MIRAMAR, Calif. — A Marine Corps pilot was confirmed dead Friday after the crash of a combat jet near a San Diego base, the service said in a statement.

The F/A-18D Hornet went down at 11:54 p.m. Thursday near Marine Corps Air Station Miramar and searchers recovered the pilot at the site, the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing said in a statement from its headquarters in Cherry Point, North Carolina.

The pilot was the only person aboard the jet, identified as part of Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 224. The squadron is based at MCAS Beaufort, South Carolina.

The identity of the pilot will not be released until 24 hours after all next-of-kin notifications have been completed, the Marine Corps said.

A Miramar statement said earlier that the aircraft was not part of its resident air wing but was operating from the air station.

The crash site was described as government property east of the air station. The site about 10 miles (16 kilometers) north of downtown San Diego is an area of largely vacant land.